POLICE will urge the public to shop a drink-driver - including family and friends - in this year's festive season campaign to save lives

The idea was immediately endorsed by campaigners who said: "There should be no qualms about this - you could save a life".

The Christmas and New Year campaign will be launched on December 1 with an appeal for people to contact police with as much information as possible about family, friends and other people they suspect is breaking the law.

The force will use its Crimestoppers phone line to introduce "intelligence-led targeted policing" with people encouraged to ring the 0800 555 111 number - anonymously if they wish.

Police want to know the make and model of vehicles with the registration number if possible, along with day, time and locations where persistent offenders usually commit the crime. The new approach for 1999 represents an extension of the successful "Drink Link" scheme which Lancashire Police used last year in their Southern Division, which includes Chorley.

Chief Inspector Ian Bell said: "We hope by extending the Drink Link scheme to the whole county we will target those people who persistently drink and drive.

"We shall still be carrying out high profile roadside checks throughout the county which should deter or even catch those Christmas party season drinkers.

"Drinking and driving is unacceptable and we would encourage those who have information about drink drivers to inform us, via Crimestoppers, to help us put a stop to it."

In 1998 the force came under fire after they initially failed to release full figures of motorists stopped in the county. The information that was eventually released showed that just five people were arrested for drink driving out of 32,101 stopped by police.

Maria Cape, of the Campaign Against Drinking and Driving, hailed the initiative as a breakthrough.

She said: "It is an excellent idea.

"Anyone who telephones the police to tell them about someone they suspect is drinking and driving could be helping to save someone's life.

"It is everyone's duty to help the police tackle this crime.

"If you saw someone with a shotgun there would be no hesitation in telephoning the police and a car can be just as deadly if someone is drunk at the wheel."

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