POLICE arrested six drink drivers and one motorist suspected of driving under the influence on a single night in October.

Between the evening of Sunday, October 28 and the early hours of the following day, officers arrested a slew of motorists who put lives at risk on Dorset's roads.

One was more than three times the limit.

The drivers have now all been banned from driving after appearing at Poole Magistrates' Court.

Matthew Russo, 24 and of Wimborne Road, Bournemouth, drove his Vauxhall Corsa in Charminster Road and Green Road with 55 micrograms of alcohol in breath. The limit is 35mg. He was fined and disqualified for 14 months.

Ali Ucar admitted failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis in the course of an investigation into whether he had committed an offence. The 32-year-old, who is of Kinson Road in Bournemouth, was banned for 36 months.

Flavien Muckensturm, 30 and of Surrey Road, Poole, drove a VW Golf in Herbert Avenue with 88mg of alcohol in breath. He was banned from driving for 18 months.

Elizabeth Wilton-Patrick was banned from driving for two years after she was caught behind the wheel of a Vauxhall Zafira in Danecourt Road, Poole with 109mg alcohol in her breath. The 40-year-old, of Gladstone Road, Poole, was made the subject of a community order, under which she must carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

Rafal Kaszuba, 34 and of Clarendon Road, Broadstone, drove in Dorchester Road, Wool with 67mg alcohol in breath. He was banned for 18 months.

Keith Tanswell, of Tolpuddle, Dorchester, drove a Ford Ranger in Poole's Yarrow Road car park with 75mg alcohol in breath. He was disqualified from driving for 18 months. Tanswell, 55, also admitted failing to stop after crashing into a Lexus, and was fined.

Rotraud Maughan, 54 and of Haycrafts Lane, Harmans Cross, drove a Honda Accord in Herbert Avenue, Poole with 49mg alcohol in breath. She was banned for 12 months.

All of the defendants were also fined and ordered to pay court costs and a surcharge.

Sergeant Mark Farrow, of Dorset Police's No Excuse team, said: “Too many people fail to consider the untold devastation drink driving can cause.

"Alcohol impairs many of the functions necessary for safe driving. Reaction times go up and spatial awareness is significantly reduced.

"You don’t have to be drunk to be a drink driver.

“Drink driving poses a significant threat to other road users and we aim to send out the message that these offences will simply not be tolerated.

"Having a second drink doubles the risk of a driver being involved in a fatal collision."

Last year, four people died on the roads as a direct result of drink drivers, Sgt Farrow said.

"That's four unnecessary deaths, four times when we had to tell relatives a loved one would never be coming home," he said.

"If you are drink driving, drug driving, driving while disqualified or driving dangerously, we will target you and remove the risk you pose to the public.

“We will take you off the road, we will put you before the courts and we will publicise our successes in the media so you can expect to be named.

"If you know someone who is committing these offences and risking the lives of others, as well as their own, please tells us."