SIXTY motorists were caught by police risking their own and other people’s lives by driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs during a month-long campaign.

In Cumbria, 2,687 people were breath tested during the festive crackdown which ran from December 1 to January 1.

Of those tested, 2,267 were as a result of proactive road side checks and 420 were administered following a collision.

The total number of people who either tested positive, failed or refused to provide a test was 60, which equates to approximately 2.2 per cent of tests conducted.

Chief Inspector Matt Kennerley said: “We conducted more tests in this year’s campaign compared to 2013 and saw the number of people caught driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs drop slightly. Whilst it is encouraging that the majority of people in Cumbria are not risking the lives of themselves and others, we are still finding some motorists driving whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Richard Rhodes, the Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “Whilst it may be encouraging that the numbers have dropped slightly, it is disappointing that people are still willing to drive under the influence of drink or drugs."