A TOP North Yorkshire Police officer has renewed his calls for the drink-drive limit to be reduced.

Deputy Chief Constable Tim Madgwick’s appeal was backed by the chairman of the region’s Police Federation Mike Stubbs, who wants the current limit to be reduced in a similar way to the limits in Scotland and much of Europe.

DCC Madgwick is keen for the limit in England to be reduced to 50mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The current limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per millilitre of breath, or 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

DCC Madgwick said early indications from Scotland, where the limit was reduced in December to 22mg in breath or 50mg in blood, had been positive, and England was now one of two countries in the EU with a limit of 80.

“The work done with 95 Alive partners locally has always been focussed on reducing death and serious injury on our roads. We need to continue to do everything we can to reduce the tragic toll of fatalities on the roads of North Yorkshire and the city of York.I will be urging colleagues in the national road policing group and partners in the Department for Transport to look again at the current limits. There is independent evidence going back over the last 15 years that clearly indicates that lowering the drink-drive limit will save lives in this country,” he said.

“In addition there are many other serious accidents that have alcohol as a causation factor. This will help to reduce the demand on health partners and emergency service colleagues.”

Mr Stubbs said he supported the suggestion that drink-drive limits should be reduced, a topic that was discussed at the Federation’s national conference this week, but warned that any change must be supported by effective enforcement.

He said: “There is an increasing reliance on policing the roads through technology, with the proliferation of safety camera vans. This does not address problems such as careless and dangerous driving, or drink- driving.

“Education can influence the behaviour of some of those who drink and drive but there are those who will simply ignore this and continue to put other road users at risk. We have consistently highlighted the consequences of cuts to police budgets. Whatever the limit is, this legislation will only protect the public if there are police officers out on the roads to enforce it.”