THE first weekend of Wiltshire Police’s annual drink and drug driving campaign couldn’t have been busier, with more than 600 drivers stopped on Saturday night.

Of those stopped, 244 were breath tested, three drug wipe procedures were conducted, six people were arrested for drink driving and two were arrested for drug driving - one driver was discovered to be three times over the legally prescribed alcohol limit.

When I attended the briefing earlier in the evening I could already tell that every one of the 18 officers from both the North and South Swindon Community Police Teams and from the Special Constabulary on duty that night were passionate about helping to prevent something that could cost lives.

They were deployed to seven locations around Swindon.

It was a surreal experience - normally I would be sitting at home watching a programme on television about someone accompanying the police on an operation to actually do this myself was very exciting.

One of the main highlights of the night was when a call came through on the radio about a car refusing to stop – this led to the blue lights coming on and a pursuit to try and catch the vehicle.

I was able to get out of the car and see first hand the Road Traffic Act 1988 being used, which gives officers the power to stop vehicles.

It was fascinating to sit in the police vehicle and see how the officers operate, and see the consistent hard work they do on a continuous basis. Teamwork is a key factor.

They are always constantly checking number plates and checking to make sure that the person behind the wheel is entitled to be.

Sgt Stefan Telford said: “We would like to thank the members of the public that were patient whilst they were stopped and for all the supportive comments we received during the operation. This is just the start of this national campaign.

“Wiltshire police will not tolerate drink and drug drivers who put other road users and pedestrians at risk of harm. There will be further operations like this being held throughout the rest of the campaign.”

The campaign will run until January 1, although officers stressed drink and drug driving is not tolerated at any time of year.