ALMOST 50 drink-drivers were caught in a festive crackdown on roads across Bolton.

The figure represents a 25 per cent increase on the same period last year when only 36 people were arrested.

But police bosses say the inflated number is mainly due to more people being stopped and tested during this year's crackdown.

Last year 334 people were asked to stop for a breath test between December 13 and January 3, while this year 1,111 were stopped and tested during December.

Inspector Chris Burrows said: "It should reinforce the message that we are not only breathalysing those people involved in collisions. There is also a very good chance you will be tested if we stop you for any other reason."

One person was also charged with driving under the effects of drugs during the Christmas campaign.

It was the third year police used Field Impairment Tests on suspected drug drivers. The tests involve traffic officers checking the coherence and pupil size of drivers.

They then call on-duty doctors to the scene and take a blood sample if they suspect the driver has used drugs.

Insp Burrows added: "We will not stop in our year-round campaign to stop drink-driving and officers will always ask people to provide a breath test if they suspect the person has been drinking."

A total of 48 drink drivers were caught across Bolton and Wigan. In addition there were 63 collisions over the Christmas period in which passengers were injured.

Out of those 63 crashes a total of 109 people were breathalysed, but only three were arrested for giving a positive reading.

Last year there were 52 collisions involving injuries and six people were arrested for failing the test.

Previous years have seen higher levels of drink-driving, with 68 people caught during Christmas 2003.

The same period in 2002 and 2001 found 43 and 52 offenders respectively.

Officers patrolling the Bolton area targeted late night drunks and people driving on the morning after office parties.

A special investigation by the Bolton Evening News over Christmas found that motorists could still be twice over the legal limit after a night's sleep and that alcohol took more than 12 hours to fully leave the system.

All those who gave a positive breath test over the Christmas period face driving bans. The recent campaign figures were recorded from December 1 to December 31.