Dorset’s roads policing teams have overseen a 38 per cent drop in the number of people killed or seriously injured by illegal driving on the county’s roads.

According to figures, 13 serious injury or fatal collisions were caused by illegal driving - for example, drivers who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol - between July 1 2016 and June 30 2017. The figure dropped to eight over the same time frame the following year.

Dorset is recognised nationally for its traffic officers. The force routinely runs drink- and drug-driving initiatives to tackle problem drivers.

As reported in the Echo, a total of 64 people were charged with drink driving offences during the force’s recent summer drink drive campaign.

Its initiative Op Dragoon also aims to take some of the county’s most dangerous driving offenders off the roads.