POLICE, campaigners and Scottish Government Ministers have hailed new figures that show a fall in the number of drink-drive offences after the law was changed to mean that one alcoholic drink could put a motorist over the limit.

According to official police statistics, drink-driving offences dropped by 17 per cent in the first three months of the year, following the introduction of a tough new drink-drive limit in December that mean drivers risked losing thier license over one pint.

Between January and March, the number of motorists found to be over the drink-drive limit fell to 997 compared to the1,209 recorded over the same period in 2014.

Police Scotland warned that they will continue to stop and breath-test a driver every two minutes this summer as they launched their annual drink-drive crackdown.

Chief Superintendent Iain Murray, head of road policing, said: "Police stop more than 20,000 Scottish drivers a month. That's one vehicle every two minutes.

"If you have committed an offence, or if we have reasonable cause to suspect that you have been drinking, you may be subjected to a breath test.

"Even if you're just over the limit, you're still a drunk-driver in the eyes of the law - there is no grey area.

"This may affect your current and future employment, and can have wider implications for other areas of your life including overseas travel, even just for family holidays. If you drink and drive, you won't just spoil summer."

Margaret Dekker, spokeswoman for the Scottish Campaign against Irresponsible Driving (SCID), said that the figures were very welcome.

She said: "We took an active part in the consultation leading up to the lowering of the drink driving limit and backed the change.

"It is very pleasing to see that it has apparently had an effect. People are not taking the chance and are making sure they don't drink too much the night before and stay over the limit when they get up in the morning.

"The message seems to be getting through."

She added that it was hoped that other parts of the UK would follow Scotland in adopting stricter drink driving limits, as the policy appeared to be showing results.

Ms Dekker said: "I think that where Scotland leads on this, England and Wales will follow.

"I think that this just leaves Malta in Europe as the only country that is not looking at adopting these limits or has already done so.

"What we want to see next is cross-border standardisation of rules across Europe."

The new drink drive-laws are believed to be behind a drop in the amount of booze being sold in pubs and bars, with licensed premises saying in March that sales were down by 10 per cent since December.

A poll of more than 400 outlets carried out by the industry said that with millions of pounds had been lost in over-the-counter alcohol sales as people stay at home or consume soft drinks.

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson, said: "Since the introduction of the new lower drink-drive limit six months ago, Scotland is starting to see a real change in behaviour.

"The 17 per cent reduction in drink-driving offences indicates that Scottish drivers are avoiding alcohol when they are driving.

"Fewer drink-driving offences is a positive story for Scotland and shows that we're leading social and legislative change in the UK.

"We're urging Scots to take care this summer and to remember it's safer to avoid driving if you've consumed alcohol."