The county force drafted in the famous Churchill Insurance dog to get across the message that driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be tolerated

The nodding dog, who is appearing in the pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton, met PC Steve Harris at the theatre yesterday to help launch the five-week campaign.

And while it was being highlighted in a fun way, the underlying message is deadly serious.

PC Harris, from the county's casualty reduction partnership, said a drink- drive arrest can also invalidate an insurance policy, making it a problem for the wider motoring community and not just the police.

He said: "While the nodding dog may be a fun thing, there is a serious message.

"If you're going to drink, don't drive – full stop. It is the only sure way. We are not anti-drinking, we are just anti drink-driving."

The police won't be running extra patrols during the campaign, concentrating instead on raising awareness in the community.

PC Harris said this would be particularly important in relation to young drivers, as there are a disproportionately high number of them in accident statistics.

He added: "Christmas is a happy time and people tend to lose their inhibitions. If they have just one drink they are more likely to lose them even further and take risks.

"Every accident we attend the driver will be breathalysed.

"That happens throughout the year but we want to reiterate that now. You might feel like you are driving well, but you could be in an accident and be the only victim."

And while Christmas tends to be quieter, PC Harris said there is usually an increase in arrests before and after the holiday.

He said: "We don't see so many arrests over Christmas because people are taking on board the message. It is at either side of the holidays that we see the problem."

The last major anti drink-driving campaign in the county was in the summer, when officers carried out a record 1,448 breath tests.