A senior police officer in charge of a campaign to clamp down on alcohol-related crime yesterday admitted drink driving.

Inspector Philip Toulson, 40, was arrested for drink driving in November last year - just days before his force launched its anti-drink drive campaign.

The inspector was caught by his own Northumbria Police colleagues after leaving a police party.

At South Tyneside magistrates court yesterday, a stone's throw from the Mill Dam police station in South Shields where he is based, Toulson admitted drink driving, driving without due care and attention, failing to stop after an accident and failing to report an accident.

He was pulled over by a patrol car while on his way home from the party on November 29 last year.

He had left the Grey Horse pub in East Boldon, South Tyneside, only minutes earlier where parked cars had been damaged.

Inspector Toulson was breathalised, arrested and suspended from his high profile post.

The matter came as a particular embarrassment to Toulson as for the last year he had been coordinator of the Pub Watch scheme in South Shields.

The hearing was adjourned yesterday as Toulson disputes the amount of alcohol he drank before the accident which led to him being breathalised.

He was charged with having 97 mgs of alcohol in 100 mls of breath - nearly three times the drink drive limit.

But the court was told that although Toulson admitted the offence he claimed the reading should have been 53mgs.

His solicitor Geoffrey Forrester explained that Toulson had drank alcohol after the accident and before he was breathalised.

Mr Forrester said that Toulson had more to drink after the accident, resulting in the higher reading and that witnesses could confirm his story.

The case was adjourned for two weeks to allow time for the expert report to be studied by the prosecution.

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "Inspector Toulson is currently suspended from duties.

"It would not be appropriate to comment further until court proceedings have been concluded.