A GROUP of hard core drink-drivers continue to flout the law and put themselves and others in danger.

Lancashire Police's summer anti drink-drive campaign revealed a worrying minority of motorists continue to buck the general downward trend of drink driving.

Inspector Peter Stas said: "Although I am encouraged that the message seems to be getting through to the public in general, I am still concerned about the hard core of motorists who continue to ignore our advice.

"Those people will now have to face the full force of the law as they are dealt with by the courts."

During the six-week campaign police carried out three times as many tests this year in line with their policy of breath testing all drivers involved in accidents. Of the 6,086 tests carried out, 545 motorists were found to be positive.

Insp Stas said: "Although this represents almost nine per cent of the total, it is a dramatic improvement on last year's comparable figures of more than 16 per cent."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.