DRIVERS under the influence of alcohol or drugs have been the target of police teams this month.

Community Policing Team (CPT) officers have made a number of arrests following proactive work targeting drug and drink driving.

  • At 4.45pm on March 1, PC James Barrett and PC Emma Fisher stopped a yellow Peugeot 107 on the A30 at Barford St Martin, near to Wilton. The driver, Susan Osment, 57, of Heath Farm Park, Barford St Martin, provided a positive breath specimen and was charged with drink driving. She pleaded guilty at court on March 17, and was subsequently disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £235.
  • At 3.20am on March 12, PC Barrett and PC Fisher responded to reports that a Volkswagen Golf had hit three other vehicles in Ashley Road, Salisbury. The car initially failed to stop for officers but then collided with a police vehicle close to the junction of Ashley Road and Butts Road. A roadside drug wipe test was carried out and the driver – a 33-year-old man from Salisbury, provided a positive specimen. He was arrested on suspicion of drink driving, drug driving, failing to stop and possession of a class A drug. He has been released on bail pending further enquiries.
  • At 11.45pm on March 12, PC Sam Van Den Broek and PC Tim Bunt from the CPT in Amesbury stopped a vehicle on Boscombe Road. The driver, a 31-year-old man from Reading, was arrested on suspicion of drug driving after providing a positive drug wipe test at the roadside. He was also arrested on suspicion of possession of a class A drug, driving without a licence and no insurance. He remains on police bail.
  • And at 11pm on March 29 PC Fisher and PC Barrett stopped a blue Ford Fiesta in Hurdcott Lane, Winterbourne Earls. Gregory Phillips, aged 45, of Hurdcott was charged with drink driving and is due to appear at South East Wiltshire Magistrates Court on April 21.

Salisbury community coordinator PC Matt Holland said: “Officers in the local CPT’s have been working really hard to catch those people who, despite constant reminders of the dangers of drink and drug driving, continue to get behind the wheel of a vehicle having consumed alcohol or drugs.

“Drink and drug driving not only puts yourself at risk, but endangers your passengers and other road users and pedestrians.

“In the past month, we have had some successful vehicle stops, with arrests made, and in some cases, disqualifications through the courts.

“I would like to remind motorists that we will continue to proactively target drink and drug drivers, and we will take reports of this nature from members of the community seriously.

“To report drink or drug driving, call police on 101, please try to give us as much detail as possible about the driver, vehicle and location as possible.”