AN 85-year-old and a 15-year-old were among 1,702 Gwent people arrested for drink driving in past two years, new figures reveal.

One person stopped was almost six times over the legal alcohol limit having produced a breath test reading of 201 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The legal limit is 35 mg per 100 ml.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show the number of drivers who showed a measure of alcohol in their breath, combined with those who failed to provide a sample, rose from 1,513 in 2009/10 to 1,595 in 2010/11.

Over the past two years 2,536 of these were men, compared with 546 women. 26 people were recorded as transgender or gender unknown.

Of those who provided samples 1,702 were arrested - 867 in 2009/10 and 835 in 2010/11.

In 2009/10 the oldest person was 85 and the youngest was 15, while in 2010/11 the oldest was 80 and the youngest was 16.

The highest reading in 2010/11 was 198 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 ml of breath - more than five times the legal limit.

A spokeswoman for Gwent Police said: "We target drink drivers 365 days a year and we always advise not to drink at all when getting behind the wheel of a car.

“Even though some of these people were not over the drink drive limit, this doesn't mean that the level of alcohol in their blood is a safe level - any amount of alcohol can impair judgement even the smallest amount risks lives."

RAC spokesman John Franklin said the figures showed "a persistent hard core of motorists" still willing to risk their own and other people's lives through drink-driving, with more work needed to get the message home that drink-driving is "completely unacceptable".

A spokesman for Alcohol Concern also said these figures revealed messages about drink-driving are not hitting home, and that more needed to be done to change social attitudes. He said Alcohol Concern supported proposals to reduce drink-drive blood alcohol limits and the introduction of random breath testing.