Festive clampdown on festive drink and drug drivers saw over 700 people arrested

The Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and Thames Valley Police made made 737 arrests as part of Operation Holly, the annual Christmas drink and drug driving campaign led by the National Police Chief’s Council. In Hampshire and the Isle of Wight 286 people were arrested for offences, with 153 for drink driving and 133 for drug driving.

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The campaign from December 1 – 31 saw officers carry out targeted patrol activity in order to stop drivers and carry out drink and drug road side testing. In December 2021 there were 639 arrests made as part of Operation Holly, with 276 in Hampshire and Isle of Wight area alone. The campaign was backed this year by Karen Marchant, who lost her 15-year-old daughter Rebecca when she was killed by a drink driver in February 2016.Chief Inspector Chris Spellerberg, of the Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit, said: ‘While I am pleased this year's campaign has been a success with so many arrests, there are still too many people continuing to get behind the wheel despite being under the influence. Anyone who drives after drinking or taking drugs is putting the lives of innocent people at risk. All too often drink or drug driving leads to devastating collisions where people are killed or seriously injured.‘Even the smallest amount of alcohol or drugs can impair your ability to drive and we hope the message of this campaign gets through. It is never acceptable to drink or drug drive. It’s not worth the risk.’