DRINK driving figures for the Christmas and New Year period fell in Bury and elsewhere in Greater Manchester.

But, even though the overall number of arrests was down on the previous year, police chiefs stress the latest figures are still too high.

Throughout the two-week monitoring period, covering Christmas and New Year, Greater Manchester police arrested 324 drivers for drink driving - down on the previous year's figure of 361.

In the Bury division, there were 13 arrests during the same period, two of which arose from road accidents.

Officers carried out 59 breath-tests following accidents during the festive period.

The number of drink-driving arrests in the borough was a reduction of six compared to the corresponding period the previous year.

Sergeant Martin Greenwood of Bury police divisional traffic unit said: "Although the figures are down on the previous year, they are still way too high.

"But it would appear the message not to drink and drive is getting across to motorists.

"In the Bury area, one of our objectives all year round is we do not ease back on the detection and prosecution of drink drivers."

He added: "The message to drivers must be not to take risks. It's not worth injuring other people and causing such misery."

Overall, Greater Manchester Police report the force-wide drink-drive figures represent a ten per cent drop on the same period last year.

During the monitoring period, there were 406 injury accidents on the roads throughout Greater Manchester, five of them resulting in deaths.

While not all involved drink, there were 63 drivers who were arrested after providing a positive breath-test following an accident.

A GMP spokesman said: "This is an appalling level of offending which is still too high and we shall continue to be active throughout the year in our efforts to reduce the incidence of this irresponsible, anti-social behaviour."

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