Drink-drivers are a year-round menace and not just a problem during the festive season, say police.

Figures released by Thames Valley Police show collisions involving motorists over the limit remain constant throughout the year.

They do not peak around Christmas and the New Year.

Police say that although people continue to drink and drive, they are catching more drivers before they cause a serious accident.

They target known offenders and gather information about drink-drivers getting behind the wheel.

Information passed anonymously to Crimestoppers is acted upon and can lead to arrests and prosecutions.

The number of arrests for drink-driving has increased significantly in Oxfordshire in recent years.

There was a 10 per cent increase in drink-driving arrests in the year to April in the Thames Valley, compared with the previous financial year.

There were 242 more arrests in Oxfordshire than the previous year.

One of the largest increases was in the Southern Oxfordshire police area, where there were 605 arrests last year -- compared with just 250 in 1999-2000.

However, the total number of alcohol-related collisions is going down.

There was a 18 per cent decrease in serious injury collisions and a 26 per cent decrease in fatal accidents.

Supt Neil Olney, head of Thames Valley's traffic police, said: "The level of arrests and the number of collisions stays fairly constant throughout the year, indicating that drink driving is a continuous problem, and not confined to particular periods."

Jane Evason, whose 19-year-old son Gareth was knocked down and killed in May 1998 by a friend who was two-and-a-half times over the limit, praised Thames Valley Police's approach.

Mrs Evason, of Evenlode Close, Wantage, works for the national charity, the Campaign Against Drink Driving, based in Grove.

She said: "I think Thames Valley is one of the few areas that have got it right.

"They're catching people before they cause harm.

"They watch people they know are drink-drivers."

In the year to April 1, there were 167 alcohol related crashes in Oxfordshire, 16 fewer than the previous year.

The biggest decrease was in Cherwell, where the number of accidents halved.

There were 19 collisions compared with 42 in 2000-2001. Thames Valley Police were unable to explain the sudden fall.

If someone you know is drinking and driving, call police on 01865 846000 or Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555111.