Nearly 150 people have been caught drink driving or have refused a police breath test this Christmas in Derbyshire.

A festive clampdown on people driving after drinking alcohol by Derbyshire Police ended on Thursday morning.

Since the beginning of December more than 5,000 people have been breathalysed.

The figures show a sharp rise on 2001 when just under one hundred people were arrested for failing the test.

Derbyshire Police's assistant chief constable Alan Goodwin said the increase was partly due to a new confidential phone line allowing people to shop suspected drink drivers

"We have made several arrests on that and we have also got some good information on habitual drink drivers that we can start and target over the weeks ahead.

"I think the targeting has been a success but there may well be people who will be tempted to drink and drive this year, which is regrettable."