THE horrors of drink-driving are to be hammered home to town centre shoppers.

A stage-managed car smash with fire crews cutting through the mangled wreckage to reach play-acting victims will be on display in Redcar, east Cleveland, this weekend.

Emergency services and a Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council officer are joining forces to drum home the dangers of mixing alcohol with driving.

Mike Hall, the council's road safety officer, said: "We adopted the policy, 'Nil for the road', warning that any small amount of alcohol can affect your driving sensibility. It can reduce your reaction, reduce your understanding of speed and give you a false sense of security.

"What we are trying to do is educate people that it's best to have 'Nil for the road'.

As well as the mock car crash, near Redcar town clock, tomorrow, street theatre will be used to illustrate the havoc drink can cause. There will be free tasting of alcohol-free cocktails while on-lookers will be invited to experience the effects of drunkenness and blurred vision through special goggles - without drinking a drop.

Sergeant Shaun Quinn, of the district licensing unit, said: "Our aim is to make Langbaurgh a safer place and combat the impact of practices such as binge-drinking.

"Both high-profile and covert operations will be stepped up during the coming months to crack down on drunken and anti-social behaviour."

Ian Harrington of Cleveland Fire and Rescue, said: "This is a positive multi agency initiative."