Police have issued a warning ahead of the festive season after a number of drink drivers have been found taking to the roads of Tayside in the early hours of the morning.
More than 20 drivers have been caught since October 27 but police say an alarming number of people still seem to believe their criminal and potentially lethal actions will go unnoticed.
A number have been stopped or detected attempting to drive home after a night out and on one day four drink drivers were stopped within half an hour three of them in Perthshire and another in Dundee.
Drink drivers have been traced by police following collisions that were minor, having taken a vehicle without permission, and even while fuelling up, clearly the worse for wear.
Breath or blood alcohol tests have found readings that are three and even four times the legal limits, and not all of those taken off the road have been first offenders, causing significant danger to others.
Inspector Grant Edward, of Tayside Division road policing unit, said: “It is a genuine concern that we appear to have people who are out for a night’s drinking, who then feel it is perfectly okay to then get into the driver’s seat and head home.
“We are about to enter the festive party season where we acknowledge there is a temptation for people to drink a little more than they would otherwise.
“If you are drinking, under no circumstances should you drive.”