Sussex Police driving campaign: More than 140 arrests made in one month

Operation Limit, a drink/drive campaign, was launched last month (December 2022) to crackdown on people getting behind the wheel while intoxicated.

Since the beginning of December, more than 140 motorists have been arrested in Sussex. Officers have carried out nearly 1,700 vehicle checks and conducted 676 breath tests and 118 DrugWipe tests at stop sites across the county.

A building surveyor, a landlord, a social care assistant and a construction site agent were among the first motorists to appear in court after being stopped for drink-driving.

Roads Policing Unit Superintendent Rachel Glenton said: “Our officers are determined to catch offenders on our roads before they cause serious harm to themselves or other road users.

"We have already charged more than 50 motorists who have got behind the wheel while intoxicated. We patrol the county’s roads 24/7, every day of the year, and these results show that while we can’t be everywhere, we could be anywhere.”

Some of the people caught, according to Sussex Police:

According to police, Gerard Campbell, a housing landlord from of Heathfield, was caught over the limit on on December 1. Officers were called to the scene of a minor collision involving Campbell's Seat at North Road, Hellingly, and could smell alcohol on his breath. At Hastings Magistrates' Court on December 20 Campbell admitted driving while over the prescribed limit for alcohol. He was disqualified from driving for one year and was ordered to pay a £200 fine, £85 costs, and an £80 victim surcharge.

In Crawley, officers spotted a Ford Ranger being driven slowly by David Gullon on a 60mph road and then saw Gullon go through a red light at 1.15am on December 3.

The vehicle was flagged down and stopped for officers in a nearby car park, where the driver completed a breath test which showed he was over the limit. When arrested, Gullon said: "I didn't realise this was a criminal offence."

Gullon, a building surveyor from Eastbourne, appeared before Crawley Magistrates' Court on December 19 where he admitted driving while over the prescribed limit for alcohol. He was disqualified for 17 months and was ordered to pay a £600 fine, £85 costs and a £240 victim surcharge.

Barbra Wright caught officers' attention when she was driving a Nissan Juke and was asked to stop on December 4 in Storrington. She struggled to pull over at first and mounted the kerb, before telling officers she had drank two glasses of wine earlier in the evening – she was over the limit.

Wright, a social care assistant from Storrington, appeared before Worthing Magistrates' Court on December 20 where she admitted driving while over the prescribed limit for alcohol. She was disqualified for one year, and was ordered to pay a £266 fine, £85 costs, and a £106 victim surcharge.

Officers saw Liam Scott driving a Mercedes at inappropriate speed through Worthing, and stopped his vehicle in Edmonton Road on December 4. He told an officer had consumed three pints of beer at the pub during the World Cup football match between England and Senegal – he was over the limit.

Scott, a construction site agent from Durrington, appeared before Worthing Magistrates' Court on December 20 where he admitted driving while over the prescribed limit for alcohol. He was disqualified for 18 months and was ordered to pay a £500 fine, £85 costs and a £200 victim surcharge.

Jack Carroll, from Rye, was seen driving in a Citroen Nemo van along the A259 towards Bexhill when he was stopped by officers near Hooe. He was over the limit when tested and at Hastings Magistrates’ Court on December 21 he admitted to driving while over the prescribed limit for alcohol. He was disqualified for one year and was ordered to pay a £200 fine, £85 costs, and an £80 surcharge.

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