Gwent in Wales has been named the drug-drive capital of the UK, after police recorded 361 arrests for the crime over 12 months.

Leasing Options revealed the figures. It used a series of Freedom of Information requests to uncover which constabularies recorded the highest number of arrests for drink and drug driving during a 12-month period.

Police in Manchester recorded the most arrests for the offence.

A renewed focus by Government to tackle the issue of drug driving saw it introduce tougher laws which, according to official figures from the Department for Transport, increased arrests by 800%.

Manchester, Essex, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Gwent were revealed as the places that saw the most arrests, with each seeing several hundred arrests over the course of the year.

Gwent saw the highest proportion of drug drive arrests per 1,000 of its population, followed by Cleveland, South Yorkshire, Dyfed-Powys and Essex.

Police forces with the highest proportion of drug driving arrests based on a rate per 1,000 population:

#	Police Force	Arrest rate per 1,000 people (total number of arrests)
1	Gwent Police	0.65 (361)
2	Cleveland Police	0.57 (315)
3	South Yorkshire Police	0.53 (673)
4	Dyfed-Powys Police	0.48 (240)
5	Essex Police	0.42 (720)

 

Police forces with the most drug driving arrests:

#	Police Force	Number of Arrests
1	Greater Manchester Police	742
2	Essex Police	720
3	South Yorkshire Police	673
4	West Yorkshire Police	423
5	Gwent Police	361

 

The figures also confirmed that drink driving is still a big problem in the UK. Northern Ireland had the highest number of arrested drunk drivers, with nearly 500 more arrests than any other police force. This area also has the highest proportion of drink drivers for its population, with an average of 1.65 arrests per 1,000 people. Northern Ireland was followed by Dyfed-Powys, Devon and Cornwall, West Yorkshire and Dorset.

Mike Thompson, spokesperson for Leasing Options, said: “It’s shocking to see just how many adults are driving under the influence of drugs or drink. The rise in drink drive accidents across the country shows that this continues to be a huge issue on UK roads, while adding drug driving to the mix makes the figures even more alarming. We hope to raise awareness at how driving under the influence of even prescription drugs can put others at risk, and how UK drivers can help make the roads safer.

“Drivers need to take extra precautions and be aware when they may be over the limit. If you’re not sure, arrange a designated driver, leave your keys at home or book a taxi - driving under the influence really isn’t worth the risk.”

The most recent national statistics released by the Department for Transport show that in 2015, between 180 and 220 people were killed in accidents where at least one driver was over the drink drive limit. The total number of drink drive accidents rose by 2% to 5,730 from 2014.

Police forces with the highest proportion of drink driving arrests, based on a rate per 1,000 population:

#	Police Force	Arrest rate per 1,000 people (total number of arrests)
1	Police Service of Northern Ireland	1.65 (3,063)
2	Dyfed-Powys Police	1.47 (733)
3	Devon and Cornwall Constabulary	1.26 (1,890)
4	West Yorkshire Police	1.22 (2,571)
5	Dorset Police	1.19 (849)

 

Police forces with the most drink driving arrests:

#	Police Force	Number of Arrests
1	Police Service of Northern Ireland	3,063
2	West Yorkshire Police	2,571
3	Greater Manchester Police	2,264
4	Hampshire Constabulary	2,029
5	Devon and Cornwall Constabulary	1,890