Drink driving campaign

POLICE officers in Shetland will be concentrating on tackling drink/drugs driving over the next week as part of a national campaign.

It will run from Friday to Thursday 17 August and it aims to prevent and discourage drivers from taking to the wheel while under the influence.

Shetland area commander chief inspector Lindsay Tulloch said officers would be enforcing the law on a daily basis in the isles during the campaign.

“A high number of drivers arrested for drink driving are reported by members of the public and I would encourage the community to support us in this campaign and report anyone you know or suspect to use a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” he said.

“Anyone arrested for driving under the influence can expect to appear at Lerwick Sheriff Court where penalties can include a driving ban, fine, custodial sentence and forfeiture of the driver’s vehicle.”

Tulloch told a community safety and resilience meeting in June that 31 people were detected in Shetland for driving while under the influence of drink or drugs between April 2016 and March this year – a fall of seven from 2015/16.