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"Lifesaver" initiative receives a boost

The Wiltshire Times Shame A Drink Driver campaign has received praise from the police and RAC who hailed its weekly crusade as a “lifesaver”.

The anti-drink driving campaign was launched at Christmas during the annual police blitz.

And after positive feedback from readers, the newspaper has continued it every week since, featuring a gallery of snatched photographs of offenders and reports about them appearing in court under the motto: “You can run but you can’t hide.”

Reporter Craig Evry and photojournalist Trevor Porter have been keeping the updates flowing in the past few weeks.

The crusade received a boost this week when the police and RAC both endorsed it in the newspaper.

The RAC told how the campaign could “save a life or somebody’s job by taking the problem into the community”, while the police also welcomed the articles adding, “the more publicity the police can get to keep the dangers of drink-driving in the public eye, the better”.

The newspaper has also sent ‘Shame A Drink Driver – Don’t Drink & Drive’ stickers to every Wiltshire pub to display in their windows – and also to readers who send in their feedback about the campaign.

Editor Toby Granville said: “It is an interesting fact that the number of drink-driving related casualties in 2001 peaked at Easter and not the traditional Christmas period.

“That, coupled with the backing from the police and RAC, has encouraged us to run our name and shame crusade all-year round to persuade our readers to think twice about having that ‘third drink’.

“Our crusade’s motto is You Can Run But You Can’t Hide we will name and shame these potential killers selfishly putting lives at risk.”

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