PUBLICANS in Ipswich today backed The Evening Star's Christmas Name and Shame campaign and vowed that they will shop drink drivers. Shaun De Silva, the town's Pubwatch chief and landlord of the Brewers Arms in Orford Street, said it was the responsibility of publicans to ensure their customers did not get behind the wheel drunk.

PUBLICANS in Ipswich today backed The Evening Star's Christmas Name and Shame campaign and vowed that they will shop drink drivers.

Shaun De Silva, the town's Pubwatch chief and landlord of the Brewers Arms in Orford Street, said it was the responsibility of publicans to ensure their customers did not get behind the wheel drunk.

He said: “Obviously we ask customers not to drive if we see them drinking and know they are going to get into a vehicle and on occasions we have even taken their keys away.

“We would contact police if we thought they were going to drive - it is our responsibility really.”

The Evening Star is this year producing posters to be displayed in pubs in a bid to highlight the Name and Shame campaign.

With the support of the police, we have pledged to name and shame every drink driver who appears in Ipswich's courts throughout December and January.

Their name and photograph will be displayed prominently in the paper to deter others from risking their lives and those of others through drink driving.

Mr De Silva said: “I wholeheartedly support the Star's campaign. I think drink driving is a problem that has stayed static and there are people of all generations who are stupid enough to drink and drive.”

Mr De Silva said he will hand out the Star's posters at a Pubwatch meeting later this month, in the hope the majority of the town's pubs will display them.

The posters will remind revellers that they will be exposed in The Evening Star if they drink and drive.

It will also urge people to inform police if they suspect someone of drinking and driving.

Similar posters were put up two years ago and were popular with landlords.

Mr De Silva said pubs currently run a designated driver campaign which involves asking a member of the group to refrain from drinking alcohol.

The designated driver is given a free soft drink.

Has drink driving destroyed your life? Write to: Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail: eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

Weblinks: www.suffolk.police.uk; www.eveningstar.co.uk/news