A pioneering scheme which brings drink-drivers face to face with the families of victims has been hailed a success.

Since the project, called Drive Safe, was launched a year ago it has deterred 60 drink-drivers in Colchester from re-offending.

All of them were ordered by the courts to attend sessions run by Essex Probation Service.

There they were shown graphic pictures of road accidents caused by drink-drivers and brought face to face with the parents of a girl who died in such a crash.

Firefighters, police and ambulance men, who witness the horrific scenes, are also called in to talk to the drink-drivers.

A spokesman for Essex Probation Service said: "Sixty people so far have gone through the programme in Colchester and none have been reconvicted for drink driving.

"A couple of them have been convicted for other offences but none of the same offence, which is a measure of the programme's success.

"We are very pleased. It has been well worth doing. From comments we have received from participants, who often do not like attending a probation office, they are favourable and grateful in some cases."

National research shows that many drink-drivers commit the offence 250 times before being caught.

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