POLICE chiefs warned that drink-drive checks will be carried out on motorists at any time and at any place.

North Yorkshire Police will operate at least one static drink-drive check somewhere in the county every day until January 2.

The static check programme started at the weekend and is part of a campaign by the force to stop drink-drivers causing death and injury.

During the last Christmas holiday campaign, 85 drivers failed breath tests.

Supt Martin Deacon, head of road policing, said: "That figure means there is still a hardcore of drivers who feel no sense of responsibility towards other people's safety or their own families' welfare. We are targeting those drivers.

"The checks can take place on any road, at any time of day - and some days there will be several checks going on."

The force has a policy of breath-testing every driver involved in an accident, regardless of who caused the crash.

Supt Deacon also warned that drivers did not have to be over the legal limit to be arrested as they could instead be considered unfit to drive. A driver doesn't have to be over the legal limit to be arrested," he said.

"We still have the power to arrest anyone who is unfit to drive.

"In other words, if you have been drinking alcohol and an officer sees you are not driving to an acceptable standard, you can be stopped and arrested for an offence even if you're not over the breathalyser limit.

"The point I want to make very strongly is that any amount of alcohol affects your driving. Vision, reactions, balance and judgement all suffer, and that means you are at greater risk of being involved in a crash. It's as simple and as deadly as that.

"What people do not always understand is that alcohol can create a sense of self-belief - people think they are better drivers than they really are.

"The only safe limit to the alcohol consumed before driving is none, and that is the message we will be putting out during the holiday period and beyond."