Five people will be in court on Christmas Eve after being charged with drink-driving in Essex, with magistrates court in the north and south of the county being busy.

Gareth Driscoll was arrested outside his home in Basildon shortly after midnight today and has now been charged with one count of failing to provide a specimen of breath and one count of being in possession of a Class A drug.

The 50-year-old scaffolder of Homestead Drive is currently on police bail prior to his appearance at Basildon Magistrates Court.

Joining him at the same court on Christmas Eve will be Andrew Wood.

The 31-year-old financial broker from Richmond Road in Twickenham was stopped while driving his Audi R8 on Queensway in Southend shortly after 3am today.

He has been charged with one count of driving while under the influence of alcohol. He too is now on police bail until his court appearance.

Ryan Mead was arrested a short distance away from his home in Sible Hedingham shortly after 1.30am today and later charged with one count of driving while under the influence of alcohol.

He is now on police bail until his appearance at Colchester Magistrates Court.

The 21-year-old self-employed man has stated that he lives in Hilton Walk.

The fourth individual is due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates Court.

James Tyler was arrested after being found in his car which itself was in a ditch off Church Lane in Little Baddow shortly before 6.30am today.

The 25-year-old security guard was later charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol. He is also on police bail until his court appearance.

A Kent man’s Christmas Eve will also be spent at court after he was charged with drink-driving and other motoring offences in Basildon.

Darren Mullan was arrested shortly after 1am after driving out of the Festival Leisure Park. Road policing officers stopped his vehicle as there was a rear-light failure.

He was arrested and later charged with one count of failing to provide a specimen of breath, one count of taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, one count of driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and one count of driving without insurance.

The 25-year-old labourer from Carnation Road in Rochester is currently on police bail prior to his appearance at Basildon Magistrates Court on Tuesday, December 24.

Essex Police continues to ask people to help them keep the county’s roads safe by giving them information about motorists who they believe to be drunk behind the wheel.

Anyone with such information should contact police by dialling 999 or 101 for those suspected of being regular drink-drivers but who have not yet taken to the roads.

Essex Police’s Christmas drink-drive awareness and enforcement campaign continues for a further 10 days.

So far in December, officers have carried out 2,536 breath tests with 79 people charged with drink-driving related offences.