It was a busy night for Response Team officers after they arrested three drink and drug drivers overnight.

In separate incidents, the local men, aged 54, 64 and 70 – were all committing traffic offences when they were spotted by night shift officers.

In the first incident just before 9pm last night, officers spotted a Mercedes car driving through a red traffic light at the Regal House Interchange on Queensway. 

The driver, 54, was stopped and officers noted a smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle. The driver admitted to smoking a cannabis reefer and, following a search, he handed over a small piece of cannabis and a partially smoked reefer. He then tested positive for the drug on a roadside drug test and was arrested for Driving when under the Influence of Drugs and Possession of a Controlled Class B Drug.

In the second incident just after midnight, officers spotted another car driving through a red traffic light in the opposite direction to them, just outside the Gib Elec building on Rosia Road.

Officers turned their vehicle around to follow the vehicle south along Rosia Road and observed it swerving, before they pulled it over outside New Mole House. The driver, who stated he had been drinking alcoholic drinks earlier in the evening, then blew 67ug on the roadside breath test – the legal limit is 35ug. The local man, 64, was arrested for Driving with Alcohol Concentration over Limit.

And in the last incident, which happened just after 0145 this morning, officers were patrolling the area of Waterport Road when they saw a speeding motorcycle.

The officers followed the motorcycle as it travelled towards the roundabout near Morrisons supermarket. It was seen to swerve and almost collide with the pavement.

Officers activated their sirens and pulled the motorcycle over. On speaking to the local man, 70, officers could smell alcoholic drink. He then became argumentative with officers and failed to provide a roadside breath test – for which he was arrested.

At New Mole House, he blew 92ug on the evidential breath test machine and was further arrested for Driving when under the Influence of Drink. He was also arrested on suspicion of Possession of a Controlled Class B Drug (cannabis) and Possession of a Controlled Class A Drug (cocaine).

A spokesman for the Royal Gibraltar Police said: “We are disappointed and surprised that men of this age should have such flagrant disregard for the safety of other road users. We were lucky on these occasions that no one was hurt.

“We’d like to remind people that drink or drug driving is totally unacceptable.

“Our officers are out every day looking for the tell-tale signs of drink driving, so our advice is don’t risk it, it’s just not worth it.

“We have a zero-tolerance approach to all instances of driving whilst under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“You simply cannot combine drink or drugs with driving. We urge anyone not to get behind the wheel if they are intoxicated, to ensure that they protect themselves and those around them.

“If anyone has concerns about a person driving whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you can call the RGP in confidence on 200 72500 or 199 in emergencies.

“You could help save someone’s life.”