A TOTAL of 29 Bolton motorists have been arrested in a crackdown on summertime drink-drivers.

The drivers were pulled-in during an annual August campaign by the town's traffic unit.

From August 7 to 27, police officers stopped and questioned motorists on suspicion of driving when over the limit.

Following the arrests, 25 people have been charged.

The latest campaign follows similar clampdowns in recent years by the unit, which saw 39 drink drivers caught in the 1997 summer campaign.

Today, police chiefs talked of the "favourable" results of this latest clampdown and hoped other motorists will be deterred from taking to the road after drinking.

Sgt Ken Carter, from Bolton Traffic Unit, said: "We just hope that the publicity given to these arrests, plus the fact that people see motorists being tested at the roadside, will act as a deterrent.

"In terms of the numbers of arrests, it is not high for the period, but as a means of prevention and deterrent this operation has been very successful."

The arrests came as officers went about their normal patrol duties.

And today Sgt Carter warned Bolton drivers that anybody involved in a crash would be subjected to a breath test.

He said: "Our policy is to test everybody involved in an accident. The advice would always be not to drink and drive. You can't put a limit on how it will affect a person. It's not worth losing your licence for the sake of a drink."