Police on a winner in drink-driver stakes

The party is over: Punters who drive home after a day of corporate hospitality may find their journey takes longer than expected

There is no shortage of places to drink on a sunny summer evening at Royal Windsor racecourse: the Party Politics bar, the Raffles Nightclub bar, the Piper champagne tent, the Perrier-Jouet bar, the Jamstick bar, the Ice bar, the bars of the Paddock Pavilion and the Cocktail and the Buffet bar.

Rodney, from Hammersmith in London, kitted out in blazer, panama hat and scarcely touched binoculars, appreciated the difficulties he was about to face. On his mobile telephone, he was shouting: "George. Listen, George, George! Where are we drinking tonight, where are we drinking?"

By the time the jockeys had mounted for the evening's first race, the 6.30 Piccadilly Selling Stakes, the Windsor car park was full, with about two thousand cars. George had parked his green TVR in the members' area. Rodney arrived by train and coach from Windsor station. A shout of "Rodneyeyey!" was followed by the quick disappearance of a jug of Pimm's No. 1 and a dash to the Tote window for a wager on the 7.00, the Thunder "Thrill of it All" Maiden Fillies Stakes.

In the car park a few chauffeurs chatted to each other. "Racing? One long drinking session interrupted by a few horses." The professional drivers nodded at the observation that three or four years ago "a lot of chauffeurs were at it too". However, one night at Ascot a few years ago, "they [the police] got them all outside the course on the one-way system. Ducks in shooting gallery, it was."

Hambros, sponsor of the 8.30 race, had laid on special coaches from London and Brighton for its corporate hospitality guests. One of the bank's employees said: "We realise drinking, how shall I put it, occurs. So we advise the use of our coach."

George and Rodney were not part of the Hambros party. A second jug was ordered with "You have remembered to put the Pimm's in, haven't you, darling? Ha, ha, ha, ha."

George was unaware the Government was worrying about him.

Yesterday the Transport minister, Stephen Norris, launched a six-week advertising campaign with the warning that "Drinking and driving wrecks lives". Unusually, the pounds 1m campaign will not feature television adverts but will instead use radio and posters to try winning the summer battle against drink-driving. Half an hour after the bars at the races closed, Sergeant Pete Oliphant, and his team of officers from Thames Valley's traffic division at Taplow, were out on the streets around Windsor and the routes back to the M4 and M25 motorways.

Armed with new radar equipment from the United States, known as the LTI 20-20, PC Martin Harper checked the speeds of cars along Alma Road and Imperial Road, both 30mph zones. Cars passed: 38, 41, 43, 36, 40, 67. "Sixty-seven !"

As PC Harper waved the car down, it slowed, almost stopped, and then accelerated away. Two officers ran back to the car and gave chase. They did not catch it. Two more chases ensued, after two more "failed-to-stops". Among those who did stop and were breath-tested, there were no positive readings.

Sgt Oliphant said : "So far this month we've had 23 positive tests. That's around Slough, Eton, Windsor and the near motorways. Last month there were over 50 positives."

And those that got away? "Chances are they were over the limit and knew it. They knew they would be facing a ban, a large fine, and so they did what they did."

Although the police in Windsor and elsewhere are still kept busy with drink-drivers, the message over the past decade has been getting through. Last year, 11,900 drivers and riders in road accidents were breath-tested and 6.3 per cent failed. In 1985 45,000 drivers were tested; 28.1 per cent failed.

More people, on the Department of Transport's statistics, show that people are generally drinking less if they drive; more people are leaving their cars at home; and, as a result, accidents related to alcohol are much less numerous.Yesterday Mr Norris said: "We are focusing the campaign on what a tiny, selfish minority of drivers' thoughtless behaviour might do to themselves, as well as the tragedies they may cause others. I hope the message finally gets through."

The Portman Group, the group set up and financed by the drinks industry to promote sensible drinking yesterday announced that it was setting up a task force with the aim of curbing under-age drinking.

The group, which plans to hold its first meeting next month, will canvass opinions from under-18s on how best to tackle the problem.