CELEBRITY chef Gordon Ramsay swapped the kitchen for a squad car when he joined Dorset Police traffic officers on patrol.

He joined a patrol for a special operation to tackle the issue of drug driving for a television programme which can be seen on our screens this Thursday.

The programme, 'Gordon Ramsay on Cocaine', focuses on the impact of the international cocaine industry and how law enforcement is tackling the issue.

Britain is the biggest consumer of cocaine in Europe and it is rife in the restaurant trade. Mr Ramsay has witnessed it wreck the careers of colleagues and tragically he lost his close friend and chef protégé to a cocaine overdose in 2003.

The chef joined police in Dorset back in April, an operation which resulted in the arrest of two drivers who tested positive at the roadside for having cocaine in their system.

PC David Cotterill, who joined Mr Ramsay on patrol, said: “It is great that Gordon is raising the issue of drug driving to a national audience. We’ve been able to test drivers at the roadside for drugs since March 2015 and in the first six months of this year, 360 drug tests were completed in Dorset alone, with 204 drivers being arrested after a positive sample was given.

“Driving under the influence of drugs can have devastating consequences and sadly, we’ve seen deaths on Dorset roads as a result of drivers having taken drugs.”

Dorset Police is set to feature in the first part of the documentary which will air on Thursday, October 19 on ITV at 9pm. Members of the public are invited to submit drug driving related questions to @DorsetPolice on Twitter during the programme.