A hard-hitting local press campaign to name and shame drink-drivers has been relaunched by a regional daily.

For the past five summers, the Grimsby Telegraph has run a campaign to crack down on drink drivers during the peak holiday period by publishing their names and photos on its front page.

So far 165 people have been exposed in this way, and this year’s bold campaign launch splash (below) carried the stark message ‘Don’t be number 166.’

Sadly, the message appears to be by-passing some locals as mug shots of the first quintet to be named and shamed were carried in the paper this week (above, and below right).

The campaign was relaunched with a front-page editorial warning that anyone caught drink-driving before 31 August will be named and shamed both on the front page of the Telegraph, and in the paper’s ‘hall of shame’ on thisisgrimsby.co.uk.

“In the two months that the drink-drive campaign ran last year, 36 drivers made the dangerous decision to get behind the wheel after too much to drink,” it said.

“But it seems the message has not got through. Since the beginning of June this year, traffic officers have collared 23 suspected drink-drivers in North East Lincolnshire.”

Pc John Mallett told the Telegraph: “Humberside Police has an absolutely zero-tolerance policy on drink-driving. Our summer campaign is business as usual for us, but we emphasise the message that people should not drink and drive.

“My concern is that people are more likely to take a chance in the summer because they think they have less chance of getting caught than at Christmas, when the message may be stronger.

“With the Grimsby Telegraph continuing their name and shame campaign throughout August, there will be more of an impact during the summer holiday period.”

The name and shame policy was first introduced at Christmas 2004 and focused on the festive period for three years after which the summer campaign was added.