Police need new powers to target hard core drink-drivers who regularly flout the law, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Paul Manning says.

Paul Manning explains the measures he says police need to tackle drink drivers 36"

"What we require is the ability to target those people and target the locations where they are drinking," he told the BBC.

He also demanded more freedom to breathalise motorists.

Assistant Commissioner Paul Manning

Mr Manning also supported moves to lower the drink-drive limit: "We do need a lowering of the level to reinforce the educational aspect and also the fact that between 50mg and 80mg your driving is impaired and you are putting you life at risk."

Mr Manning's call comes as the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) releases breath-test figures for England and Wales. Some forces say they are extremely disappointed with statistics.

But straight comparisons between forces this year are near impossible.

A number of forces are only giving details of breath tests administered in accident cases. Others give total tests, whether there was an accident or not.

ACPO is publishing national figures detailing the numbers of breath tests administered after collisions dealt with by police, those that proved positive and collisions resulting in injuries.

Again, comparisons will prove difficult as last year ACPO gave details of all breath tests.

ACPO's figures - which will not be broken down into force-by-force details - cover the period from 6am on December 18, 1997, to 6am on January 2, 1998.

But many forces have already published their own figures, which mainly relate to the period December 18 to January 2.

The Government's 1997-98 Christmas campaign was spearheaded by the slogan "Have None for the Road".
 

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage	©