Hove drink drive suspect held after van hits police car

A Hove man was arrested on suspicion of drink driving after a van crashed into an unmarked police car just off Western Road.

Gareth Maggs, 32, was arrested at 12.30pm on Sunday (15 December) after the crash in Farm Road, Hove, yards from where he lives.

Maggs, of Farm Road, was charged with drink driving and released on bail to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 9 January.

He was one of five more people to have been charged with drink driving or related offences in Brighton and Hove at the weekend, Sussex Police said.

They were among 18 people charged across Sussex in the latest phase of the seasonal crackdown.

It brings the total number of people ordered to appear in court to 48 since the force’s annual Christmas drink and drug driving campaign started on Monday 1 December.

The latest suspects to have been charged after being arrested in Brighton and Hove also include

• Haidar Bege, 35, who was arrested at 7am on Saturday (14 December) in Madeira Drive, Brighton, after officers found a man in a car with the lights and engine on. Bege, of Sheridan Terrace, Hove, was charged with drink driving, driving without insurance, driving without a licence and having cocaine. He was released on bail to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 16 January.
• Freddy Unt, 25, who was stopped by a patrol car at 7am on Saturday in Gloucester Place in Brighton. Unt, of Freshfield Close, Crawley, was charged with drink driving and released on bail to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 9 January.
• Nick Crossley, 45, who was arrested on the A27 westbound at Falmer at 4.15pm on Saturday after a car crash. Crossley, of Linkfield Lane, Redhill, was charged with failing to provide a specimen for analysis and released on bail to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 9 January.
• Daryl Barnes, 33, who was arrested at 8.50am on Sunday after he was stopped at a road safety check in Preston Road, Brighton. Barnes, of Wyngates, Leighton Buzzard, was charged with drink driving and released on bail to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 9 January.

Chief Inspector Natalie Moloney said: “We know that there are a group of drivers who do not believe the drink drive limit is there for them but I still feel sad and frustrated when so many people are being charged with offences.

“Drink and drug driving makes the roads of Sussex more dangerous for everyone.

“Clearly some are not listening or are choosing to ignore our attempts to educate them through our warning campaign.

“They need to know that we will make every effort to find them and get them off the roads.”

Representatives of Sussex Police, South East Coast Ambulance Service and East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service are keen to answer the public’s questions about drink or drug driving and the aftermath.

From 12.30pm to 2pm tomorrow (Wednesday 18 December) Chief Inspector Moloney will respond to public questions with Tim Fellows, from the ambulance service, and Justin Goodchild, from the fire service.

Questions can be emailed in advance to stephanie.breeds@sussex.pnn.police.uk or they can also be sent on the day.

Sussex Police said that the public will be able to watch questions being answered live at http://sussex.police.uk/whats-happening/drink-driving.

This evening (Tuesday 17 December) from 9pm road policing officers will be tweeting live from roadside checks about how the operation is going. They will be using the hashtag #drinkordrive.

The public can text officers on 65999 with the details of people suspected of drink or drug driving along with their car make and registration number.

Anyone driving anti-socially, can be reported at www.operationcrackdown.co.uk. Anyone driving after drinking or taking drugs can be reported by calling 999.