POLICE have arrested 44 drivers on suspicion of drink or drug-driving in the first 10 days of a Christmas campaign.

North Yorkshire Police said magistrates courts around the region "are on standby and slots have been set aside so offenders can be dealt with promptly", and warned anyone caught drink driving in the area should "expect to spend their Christmas without a driving licence".

Sixteen of the 44 arrested so far have been given court dates, and Traffic Sergeant Andy Morton warned drivers not to take their licences for granted.

He said: "Imagine spending the whole of 2019 being banned from driving. Imagine how difficult it would be to get to work, to see your friends and family or to just go to the shop for a pint of milk.

"People take their driving licence for granted. It’s only when they lose it that you realise what a big impact it has on your life and your career. But that’s nothing compared to the impact on innocent people’s lives if you have a crash. We see the consequences of drink and drug driving first-hand, from picking up body parts at a crash scene to knocking on a door to tell a family their loved on has been killed – it’s one of the most distressing things police officers have to see."

Police have urged the public to report anyone they suspect of drink driving immediately by phoning 999, and officers will be on the roads throughout December to carry out stop checks at day and night, including early mornings to detect those who are still over the limit from the night before.

Last year's month-long Christmas campaign saw 137 drivers arrested across the region, with the highest breathalyser reading coming in at 141 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath - four times the legal limit.

*If you see someone about to drink drive, phone police immediately on 999. If you have information about someone who you believe regularly drives after consuming alcohol or drugs, phone North Yorkshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.