DRIVERS suspected of taking drugs before getting behind the wheel are being arrested in Dorset every single day.

Between the beginning of the year and Friday, April 21 - a total of 111 days - 128 people were arrested on suspicion of drug driving in the county.

And drug drivers are more likely to be caught in Dorset than almost anywhere else in the country.

Inspector Joe Pardey, of Dorset Police's traffic unit, said officers are "working hard" to tackle the crime.

"Drug driving is a serious and dangerous issue which can result in people being seriously injured and killed on our roads," he said.

“Since the beginning of 2017 we have made 128 arrests specifically relating to the offence of driving over the prescribed limit of specified drugs."

In September 2016, the force's roads policing and 'no excuse' teams launched Op Dragoon, an initiative tackling Dorset's most dangerous drivers.

Motorists identified as being a risk on the roads are graded, with high risk drivers - those with a history of dangerous driving, failing to stop, drink or drug driving or links to criminality - assigned their own 'officer in charge'.

Insp Pardey said: "Our efforts to reduce drug driving in Dorset have included high visibility patrols, road checks and proactive targeting of drug drivers based on intelligence gained under the Operation Dragoon initiative."

Since 2015, officers have been able to use drug wipes to test motorist suspected of being under the influence at the roadside.

“Our message is strong - if you drive under the influence of drugs we will catch you," Insp Pardey said.

“Dorset Police has been very successful in catching and convicting those who flout the drug driving laws."

In early April, magistrate Glen O'Hara warned a 20-year-old university student who had 3.4 micrograms of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol - the primary psychoactive ingredient in cannabis - and 132 micrograms of MDMA per litre of blood that "driving under the influence can have untoward consequences".

The student had last taken drugs a day before he was stopped by police and the court heard he believed he was safe to drive.

Mr O'Hara said the government has a "zero tolerance approach".

"Now, you're not going to get away with this type of thing," he added.

Figures released by insurance company Keith Michaels Plc show Dorset has one of the highest conviction rates for drug driving in the UK.

A spokesperson from the company said: "Unsurprisingly London had the highest volume of convicted drivers followed by Greater Manchester but, when adjusted per 100,000, these two locations feature in the lower reaches of the figures.

"This may be due to better alternative transport for would-be drug drivers.

"Dorset and Gloucestershire have the highest conviction rates in the south west.

"For largely rural communities they appear to be visible outliers."