HAMPSHIRE police officers mounted a record-breaking breath-testing blitz over the festive period – and more people seemed to have got the message about the dangers of drinking and driving.

The county’s Roads Policing Unit has carried out nearly 7,000 breath tests – almost doubling last year’s total as they try to prevent unnecessary deaths on the roads.

Inspector Andy Storey, who leads the roads policing teams in the north of the county, praised his team for their efforts but admitted that he is disappointed some drivers still think it is acceptable to get behind the wheel after having a few drinks.

The most recent figures reveal that more than 6,900 breath tests have been carried out since the launch of the force’s drink-drive crackdown on December 1. Last year, the team carried out around 3,500 breath tests in the same period.

As a result of this year’s tests, 195 people have been arrested. Of those arrests, 24 were in the north of the county, which includes Basingstoke.

This year the team primarily focused on enforcement operations on the road, compared with last year which saw officers try a mix of enforcement and educational displays.

Insp Storey said: “We have really focused on enforcement this year, we are just trying different things to stop people drinking and driving but sadly some people are still not getting the message.

“I certainly wanted to exceed last year’s total of breath tests, so the fact we have almost doubled that number is very pleasing and a reflection of the hard work and effort that has been put in by our team.”

He added: “While it is a low percentage of people who have been arrested, there will always be that small minority who think it is acceptable to drink and drive, and unfortunately we know just how tragic it is when that goes wrong on the roads.”