POLICE have thanked people in Burnham and Highbridge for helping them catch drink-drivers.

During the Christmas and New Year period, police arrested 28 people in West Somerset on drink-driving charges, more than half of whom were arrested thanks to information from the public.

Operation Tonic was the name of the police’s drink-driving crackdown campaign, in which people were asked to call or text with information about anyone they believed was driving over the limit.

Police received 40 text messages over the course of the campaign – double the number they received last year.

Chief Inspector Yan Georgiou of the force’s roads policing unit, said: “We launched the month-long campaign jointly with colleagues at Frenchay Hospital and we have deliberately targeted those who continue to drink and drive, ignoring our warnings and messages.

“We have encouraged members of the public to report those who flout the law and who put themselves and others at risk by driving under the influence.

“We would like to thank the public for their support during this campaign and alerting us to suspected drink or drug drivers and we would also like to acknowledge those drivers who have followed our advice and acted responsibly over the Christmas and New Year period.”