On Tuesday 22 December officers from the Totton Roads Policing Unit will be outside Sainsbury’s Hedge End as part of their winter campaign against drink and drug-driving.

To help bring home their message and to show the devastating end-result drink or drug-driving can cause the police will have with them the wreck of a car involved in a fatal crash.

Sergeant Phil Lamb said: ‘If you risk driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, chances are you'll end up crashing the vehicle.

‘By bringing the car wreck into our town centres, we want people to see first-hand the kind of damage that can cause.

‘The vehicle we're using is on loan to us from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and was involved in a fatal collision.

‘Even if you survived a crash, drink or drug-driving can still ruin your life. You could end up with life-changing injuries, be fined, banned from driving or sent to prison.’

The police will be promoting their confidential ‘Should they be driving?‘ text service, 80 999.

Sgt Lamb advises, ‘If you think someone's driving under the influence, you can help prevent a collision by texting us their details to 80 999.

‘We treat all information confidentially, so for the cost of a text you could save the life of someone you love.’

Depending on the weather, the car wreck will be on display outside Sainsbury’s Hedge End between 8.30am and 4.00pm on Tuesday 22 December.

The Totton Roads Policing Unit will also be at Eastleigh shopping precinct on Monday 21 December and at the High Street car-park in Lyndhurst on Wednesday 23 December.