THE law caught up with South Cumbrian drink-drivers 50 years ago as new legislation came into force which saw the introducion of the roadside breath test.

The Mail on Tuesday, September 19, in 1967, noted: "In good time for the Christmas drinking spree, Mrs Barbara Castle launches a major campaign today to explain her new law covering drink and driving which comes into force on October 9.

"This gives a uniformed policeman the power to order a roadside breath test of any driver."

The officer had to reasonably suspect the driver might have been drinking, was believed to have committed a moving traffic offence, or had been in an accident.

It noted: "For this preliminary test the motorist is asked to blow into a plastic bag.

"If chemically-treated crystals in the mouthpiece turn green beyond a certain mark, this suggests he has more than the prescribed limit of 80mg of alcohol to 100ml of blood.

"He will be required to go to a police station for a blood or urine test.

"Before this, he will be given the chance to take the breath test again, in case the first result was exaggerated through drinking within the previous 20 minutes.

"If this test is negative, he will be released."

The penalty for a first offence was set in 1967 at £100, or up to four months in jail - plus a minimum disqualification from driving for 12 months.

It noted: "This may be waived in special circumstances, such as a doctor who may be called out to an emergency when not on night duty."

An article in The Mail in 1997 to mark the 30th anniversary of the roadside test said that Barrow police station had its own breathalyser machine, called a Lion intoximeter - from 1983 - cutting the time needed to get results.

Insp Peter Hudart said: "The breathalyser enables us to speed up the procedure of bringing people to court."

Figures for the Furness division in 1997 showed around 16 drivers a month were arrested for drink driving.

Tommy Halfpenny, of the Ram's Head and chairman of the Barrow Licensed Victuallers' Association said the tests had made a big difference to the pub trade.

He told The Mail in 1997: "Some country pubs have even laid on transport from towns so that people can travel to them without driving.

"It has meant landlords making changes.

"But I don't think anyone resents having to make the changes if it means that the roads are safer and that tragedies are avoided."