POLICE targeted suspected drink drivers in Weymouth and Portland as they launched their seasonal drink driving crackdown.

Operation Jingle saw officers from Dorset Police set up checkpoints around the area on Saturday night.

A drink driver was arrested within minutes of the traffic unit’s shift starting.

Information from a member of the public led to the arrest at the suspect’s home.

It was the start of a busy shift that saw more than 100 motorists stopped on the main routes of Weymouth in three different roadside check locations.

Police said they were generally pleased as no other drivers stopped were found to be over the limit.

On Dorchester Road, officers performed a Field Impairment Test (FIT) on a Weymouth man suspected of driving under the influence of drugs.

The test requires the suspect to carry out a number of tasks such as walking in a straight line.

The 22-year-old man admitted smoking cannabis earlier that day but passed the FIT test and a breath test and escaped with a police warning.

He said: “I felt like a bit of an idiot doing the test but I think it’s worthwhile.”

Other drivers were pulled over for failing to display tax discs, for their car’s headlights being out of position and for travelling at excess speed.

Businessman James Napper, 32, of Dorchester, was pulled over for breaking the 30mph speed limit on Dorchester Road.

He said: “I think this campaign is a good idea.

“Drink drivers are scum. People don’t realise that if they have one pint they can still be over the limit.”

A driver who was pulled over outside the Shell Garage on Dorchester Road was found to be uninsured.

He was driving his girlfriend’s car and was not covered to drive a different car.

Careless driving was tracked on the Esplanade – and the driver of a white Nissan Micra was pulled over and issued a £60 fine for failing to wear a seatbelt.

A police speed laser found the driver of a pizza delivery car speeding at 39mph, while the driver of a Renault Clio was stopped for having its lights out and the driver of a Seat car was pulled over for erratic driving.

Officers found none of the drivers they breathalysed during the shift to be over the limit.

Inspector Matt Butler, who oversaw the four-hour operation, said: “If we are not arresting people then that is a good thing. From speaking to people we’ve been stopping, the message seems to be getting across.

“Education is important and this year we’ve been handing out a booklet on safer driving produced by Dorset Road Safe.

“Our advice is that the only safe way to make sure you are not over the limit while driving is to have no alcohol at all.”

Dorset Police is running the campaign until January 1.