DRINK drive arrests have tumbled by around 25 per cent in West Yorkshire during this year's festive campaign, police figures show, but the reduction in Bradford has been much lower.

Details of arrests for drink driving and similar offences have been released each day by West Yorkshire Police since the campaign started on December 1.

They show that up to December 29 there had been 136 arrests across the county, compared to 189 for the full month last year.

But in Bradford the figure is down only from 42 in 2013 to 37 this year - around half the reduction seen across the force.

It is unclear how many breath tests have been carried out by police this year compared to 2013, which could have an impact on the statistics for those caught.

However, Philip Goose, senior community engagement officer at Brake, the road safety charity, said, “With the numbers of drivers being caught for drink driving coming down overall across West Yorkshire as a whole, it is good to see that more people are taking on board a simple message - no drink is worth a life.

"These figures do indicate that although less drivers are being caught in Bradford, this reduction is less than other areas of West Yorkshire.

"We would like to repeat our appeal that we have been making to all drivers ver the Christmas period: show zero tolerance on drink driving, and pledge to never get behind the wheel after any amount of alcohol."

The festive campaign figures continue a steady decline in numbers of drink drivers arrested and charged across Bradford in the last five years, a trend put down to work to improve education and prevention.

Last year was the fifth year running in Bradford where police have arrested and charged fewer people for being over the limit while behind the wheel.

Up to November 20, officers had arrested 435 motorists on suspicion of drink-driving and charged 311 with the offence - an average of 1.34 arrests per day and less than one charge a day.

In 2010, between January 1 and December 31, there were 742 arrests and 539 charges.

Last year, 513 people were arrested (1.4 per day) and 384 arrested (1.05 a day). In 2011 there were 658 arrests and 483 charges, while in 2012 there were 523 arrests and 384 charges.

A police spokesman said the statistics include motorists who failed to provide a specimen for analysis when asked to do so.

Inspector Joanne Field, who leads West Yorkshire Police's Roads Policing Unit, said: "Each year, and with a particularly emphasis at Christmas and during the summer months, we place a real focus on education and prevention to lower the number of people getting behind the wheel after drinking.

"The reduction we've seen across Bradford is a pattern we've seen replicated across West Yorkshire and also nationally in recent years.

"While the figures are encouraging, we will not rest on our laurels and as our current Christmas campaign called Not Worth the Risk demonstrates, we are not afraid of shaming those who have been charged in connection with drinking driving."