Horsham driver banned from roads for drink-driving

Police said Paul Read, 59, unemployed, of Church Road, was arrested in Crawley Road, Horsham, on December 6.

The 59-year-old was charged with driving with 54mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath in his system, the legal limit is 35.

He pleaded guilty at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (December 22) and was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

He was also ordered to pay a £120 fine, a £150 criminal courts charge, £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

A total of 20 drivers have been sentenced as part of Sussex and Surrey Police’s Christmas drink and drug-driving crackdown, named Operation Dragonfly, since it was launched on December 1.

Sam Gordon, 24, unemployed, of Monastery Lane, Storrington, was arrested in Church Street, Storrington on December 9.

The 24-year-old was charged with failing to provide a specimen for analysis, failing to stop after a road traffic collision, aggravated vehicle taking and injury caused following a road traffic collision, driving with no insurance and driving with no licence.

He is due to appear at Worthing Magistrates’ Court on January 14.

Superintendent Jane Derrick, the head of road policing across Sussex and Surrey, said: “We are not complacent and know that drink and drug-driving remains an issue across the counties, and will take action against anyone we suspect could be behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

“We will not tolerate drink or drug-driving and we are determined to do whatever we can to make the roads safer.”

People in Sussex can text officers on 65999 with the details of people they suspect of drink or drug driving or visit www.operationcrackdown.co.uk.

You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 (http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/).

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