More than 30 motorists have been arrested in the first week of Norfolk Police's annual festive drink and drug drive crackdown.

Eastern Daily Press: The jet wash the BMW collided with at the Co-op on Lowestoft Road in Hopton. Sam Taylor, 31, of Tennyson Road in Great Yarmouth has been charged with drink driving in relation to the incident.The jet wash the BMW collided with at the Co-op on Lowestoft Road in Hopton. Sam Taylor, 31, of Tennyson Road in Great Yarmouth has been charged with drink driving in relation to the incident. (Image: Archant)

Police in the county will be carrying out extra patrols and roadside checks as part of the force's Christmas campaign to stop drink and drug drivers wrecking the lives of others as well as their own.

As part of the crackdown, which started on December 1 and runs until the start of January, a total of 15 drink drivers have so far been arrested in addition to 16 drug drivers.

Of the drink drivers so far caught by police, 11 have been men and four were women while 15 of the drug drivers caught to date have been men.

On Thursday (December 4) Norfolk Police were called to the Co-op on Lowestoft Road, Hopton just after 10pm after a BMW car crashed into a jet wash at a petrol station.

Officers attended and a man was arrested on suspicion of drink driving after failing a roadside breath test.

Sam Taylor, 31, of Tennyson Road in Great Yarmouth, was later charged with failing to provide a specimen of breath and was bailed to appear before the town's magistrates court on February 12 next year.

Driving under the influence of drink or drugs is one of the "fatal four" factors which contribute to road deaths alongside speeding, using a mobile phone at the wheel and not wearing a seatbelt.

Sergeant Peter Howlett, from Norfolk and Suffolk Roads and Armed Policing, said: "We continue to reinforce the message that driving while under the influence of drink or drugs will not be tolerated on our counties' roads and that robust high-profile enforcement will continue."

As part of the police campaign in Norfolk and Suffolk over the festive period, drivers will be breathalysed if they are stopped due to a vehicle defect, if there are concerns over their driving or if they have been involved in a crash.

Specific time slots have been reserved at Norwich and Ipswich Magistrates' Courts to deal with those caught drink or drug driving this year, meaning offenders could lose their licence within 24 hours of being breathalysed - and face additional fines.

Anyone with information or about drink or drug driving can now submit this online via https://mipp.police.uk/operation/363719P01-PO1