Banned star fronts drink campaign

Hendrie was caught over the alcohol limit the morning after a party

A Premiership footballer with a drink-drive conviction is spearheading a campaign to discourage others from taking to the roads while over the limit.

Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie is backing the "Face the Consequences" campaign, which is being launched in Staffordshire.

It features posters placed at bottle banks across the county, in an effort to make people think about the possible consequences of drinking and driving as they do their recycling.

More than 300 bottle banks across the county will carry the message, "You can't dispose of the consequences of drink driving so easily".

Hendrie, 26, was banned from driving for a year after he was caught driving his Mercedes at 106 mph while one-and-a-half times over the legal limit.

'Morning after'

He said: "You tend to think that drinking and driving is just a Christmas-time issue but it isn't at all.

"People are tempted to stay a bit longer in the pub now it's lighter at night and it's that extra one drink that can put you over the limit, not just at the time, but the following morning as well.

"I should know, I got banned for a year in June for being over the limit the morning after a family party.

"The scary thing was, I felt perfectly fine. I know about the 'morning after' effects of alcohol now, it's just embarrassing to say that I learned the hard way.

"I'd encourage everyone to think before they drink - don't drink and drive."

Staffordshire County Council's road safety unit is managing the campaign with colleagues from local district and borough councils.

Alan Prosser, a senior road safety officer, said: "Lee Hendrie's case shows the risks involved in drinking and driving, both immediately after a night out and the morning after, which we hope will be reinforced when people are recycling their empty bottles.

"The consequences of drinking and driving can be devastating," he added.

"On average 3,000 people are killed or seriously injured each year in drink drive collisions and nearly one in seven of all deaths on the road involve drivers who are over the legal limit."