POLICE are to trial a roadside detector that tests drivers for illegal drugs.

Trials of the portable ‘drugalyser’ could take place before next summer as part of one of the biggest clampdowns on dangerous driving since alcohol breath tests were introduced in the 1960s.

A motorist suspected of driving under the influence of drugs will have to submit a saliva sample that will be placed on a slide and read by a laser, detecting any drugs present within seconds and prompting a blood test at a police station.