More Than 200 Arrests In Joint Surrey-Sussex Drink-driving Crackdown

Published on: 9 Jan, 2015
Updated on: 9 Jan, 2015

The first joint crackdown on drink and drug-driving across Sussex and Surrey has led to more than 200 motorists being charged with offences.

Surrey Police reports a total of 284 people were arrested as part of the operation across both counties that ran from December 1, 2014, to January 1, 2015.

For the first time, the campaign was run jointly by Sussex Police and Surrey Police alongside Sussex Safer Roads Partnership, Drive Smart in Surrey and the independent charity Crimestoppers.

Road policing unit officers were sent on dedicated patrols looking for offenders while teams also responded to tip-offs from members of the public who saw people getting into a car to drive when they knew they had been drinking or taking drugs.

Stop checks were set up at locations across Sussex and Surrey, in particular at locations where there had been a history of drink-driving.

In Surrey 106 arrests were made. 65 of those drivers have been charged with offences, with 14 of them having so far been convicted.

A total of 26 people are on bail after being arrested while no further action is being taken against 15 people.

In Sussex 178 arrests were made. 114 of those drivers have been charged with offences, with 21 of them having so far been convicted.

A total of 28 people are on bail after being arrested while no further action is being taken against 36 people.

Superintendent Jane Derrick, the head of road policing across Sussex and Surrey, said: “This is the first time we have run a road policing operation of this kind across both forces with one set of tactics being delivered by local officers in their own areas.

“It has proven to be a great success and has already led to more than 30 offenders being taken off the streets.

“Officers co-ordinated their activities to carry out checks at points where we had intelligence that there were likely to be drink-drivers and the fact that 179 people have been charged with offences so far shows how effective that was.

“We are not complacent and know that drink and drug-driving remains an issue across the counties and will take action against anyone we suspect could be behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

“We will be reviewing how the campaign went to see how we should do things differently to make sure we are putting officers where they can find the most offenders and I would like to thank the public for their assistance and patience during the operation.

“Although the campaign may have come to an end, officers are out on patrol every day in Sussex and Surrey looking for drink-drivers and anyone putting themselves and other road users at risk.

“We will not tolerate drink-driving and we are determined to do whatever we can to make the roads safer.”

The police statement adds that Graham Kemp, 37, was stopped at 1.15am on December 5 after he overtook two cars at speed, including an unmarked police car on Gapemouth Road, Pirbright.

A roadside breath test indicated he was driving over the legal limit and he was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.

Kemp, of Deepcut Bridge Road, Deepcut, pleaded guilty to drink-driving when he appeared at Guildford Magistrates’ Court on December 23.

He was banned from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay a £700 fine, £85 costs and a £70 victim surcharge.

William Underwood, 61, was involved in a collision with another vehicle in Egley Road, Woking, at around 6.40pm on December 11.

After providing a positive breath test at the roadside he was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.

Underwood, of Middleview Drive, Normandy, pleaded guilty to drink-driving when he appeared at Guildford Magistrates’ Court on December 30.

He was banned from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay a £550 fine, £87 costs and a £55 victim surcharge.

Members of the public can report suspected drink drivers in the following ways:

• Calling police on 101.
• Dialling 999 in an emergency situation – such as a driver swerving all over the road about to have an accident.
• Suspected drink drivers can also be reported anonymously by calling the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
• Text message – anyone in Surrey or Sussex who spots a suspected drink driver can also report via text message. (Standard network rate charges apply).
All messages sent to 66644 must start with the prefix word POLICE in order to be received. For example, ‘POLICE drink driver red ford fiesta ABC123 M23 northbound’.