THE Government is facing pressure to develop a roadside drug testing device after it was revealed that half the drivers who died in accidents in County Durham area had taken drugs.

Figures released by Durham Constabulary show that of the 23 drivers who have died on the force area's roads since January, 50 per cent had traces of cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis or prescription drugs in their blood.

The majority had also consumed alcohol, leading police to warn of a fatal trend in motorists taking a cocktail of drink and drugs.

While driving under the influence of drugs is an offence, officers have to rely on subjective methods - like asking people to walk in a straight line, to determine whether to carry out more detailed tests. These tests are complicated and expensive, and cannot be carried out at the roadside.

Durham Police head of traffic Supt Barry Peart urged the Government to introduce an all-encompassing testing device to help to tackle the problem of drug driving.

He said: "We asked the laboratories to routinely start screening for drugs because we suspected they were becoming one of the common denominators in incidents.

"The findings are quite alarming - far worse than we thought. There's a massive problem of drinking and drugs.

"I will be encouraging my officers to be more vigilant in stopping people they suspect to be under the influence of drugs, but we will always be hamstrung until there's a proper test."