A CAMPAIGN warning of the dangers of drinking and driving the following day has been launched in the North-East.

The campaign, which features a television advert in which someone in a pub makes a decision whether or not to have another drink, was launched at the Chester Moor Inn, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham.

It warns that people drinking the night before can still easily be over the limit when they step into their cars the next day.

Road safety officer Alan Kennedy, who was at the launch, said: "On average, it takes our systems around one hour to process one unit of alcohol.

"So drinking five pints of beer and finishing at 11pm means we are still under the influence ten hours later.

"We are still driving under the influence when we drive to work the next day, and the ultimate cost of your choice could be the death of another person."

Department for Transport officials are aiming the campaign mainly at men aged 20 to 29, who they said were most at risk.

Recent figures have showed that a worrying trend is developing, with the number of deaths and injuries increasing as a result of drink-driving for the first time in several years.

Durham, Cleveland and North Yorkshire police areas have all seen a rise from 2002 to last year in accidents where at least one person involved has failed a breath test.