THE battle against drink-driving is being won, with more than 20,000 lives saved in 25 years of Government campaigning against the scourge, a Government official claimed yesterday.

But he said accident statistics continued to fluctuate, providing no let-up in work to eradicate the problem.

Andrew Johnson, Government road safety representative for the North-East, was joined by former Coronation Street star Denise Welch, who played the landlady of the TV soap's Rovers Return, at the regional launch of the drink-driving campaign.

He said: "We are winning the battle, as the figures prove.

"In 1976, nationally, more than 1,600 people were killed as a result of drink-related accidents.

"In 2000 this dropped to 520. The figure for 2000, however, was up on the 460 deaths in 1999 and so forms a pertinent reminder there is still the need for such campaigns.

"In the North-East, during the past few years, the figures have been fluctuating around the 20 per cent mark for drink-related accidents and drink-related fatalities.

"Each of these accidents and fatalities are more than just statistics. Each represents people who have been killed or seriously injured."

Denise Welch said: "My son Matthew has been very affected by the television drink-driving advertisements, which shows how powerful they are.

"It's a shame that we have to have these campaigns at all, but unfortunately the reality is that we have to."

This year's £1m campaign features radio and TV advertising.