More motorists were caught drink driving in Skipton over the Christmas and New Year period than in any other area of North Yorkshire.

Five drivers had a positive breath test in the Skipton division out of the 17 people who were arrested after being involved in crashes throughout the county.

It compares with four in the Harrogate division, three in Richmond, two in Scarborough and Malton, and one in Selby.

There were 315 people breath tested between December 18 and January 2, a rise of 44 on last year. The 17 positive tests were one more than last year.

But there was a drop in injuries in drink-related accidents - from 113 in 1997/98 to 96 over the latest period.

Chief Inspector David Shot, head of North Yorkshire Police traffic department, said: "We are pleased with the decrease in those injured in accidents over the holiday but disappointed that the county still has a hard core of men and woman who believe they can mix drinking and driving. Seventeen is not many spread across the county's 6,000 miles of roads but it's still 17 too many."

The police would continue to take a hard line on drinking and driving and take strong measures every day of the year to stamp out the menace, he added.

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