Tip-off snares drinks-driver

Alleged to be four times the limit

A 44-year-old Killearn man allegedly caught behind the wheel while four times the drink drive limit appeared at court this week.

The motorist was pulled-over by police on the village Main Street late on Tuesday evening after a tip-off from a member of the public who was concerned about his standard of driving.

Tests by police allegedly found him to be over the limit and he was arrested as a result.

He was scheduled to appear at Stirling Sheriff Court on Wednesday afternoon.

Callander-based Inspector Gerry McMenemy said: “In this instance officers only had to travel a short distance to trace the driver after information from a member of the public.

“Anyone who is aware of someone drink driving should contact us immediately and we will respond as a matter of priority.”

Throughout December police ramped up the number of drinkdriving checks by 15 per cent as part of a national four-week enforcement campaign.

Almost 19,000 drivers were stopped with an average of 610 drivers tested each day across Scotland in the lead up to, and during, the festive period.

The Observer reported last month that motorists in Stirling were among those being snared by officers out to detect drivers over the limit.

A qualified driving instructor was among three people said to be over the limit when caught by police in the space of three days on Stirlingarea roads.

On Monday December 12 a 57-year-old male was stopped on the A811 near the Kippen Roundabout while making his way to work. He was allegedly found to be twice the limit.

Three days later a 37-year-old man was pulled over on the A9 slip at Doune Road while said to be four times the limit, and a 27 year-old man, a driving instructor from the Kent area, was allegedly three times the drink drive limit while at the Craigs Roundabout.

Nationally, police say that the proportion of drivers stopped and found to be over the limit was up from 2.8 per cent to 3.3 per cent year-onyear.

Assistant chief constable Bernard Higgins said: “It is an absolute disgrace that so many people were prepared to risk their own lives, as well as the lives of innocent people, by recklessly taking to the roads while in a drunken state.

“Drivers need to take far greater personal responsibility, and also be aware that while this campaign is over my officers still have a very sharp focus on detecting and arresting drunk drivers.

“I repeat the guidance given at the start of the campaign, don’t risk it, because – as these 625 people have found to their cost - we will detect and arrest you.”

Don’t risk it because we will detect and arrest you