'The hardest part of my job': North Yorkshire Police share moving story as part of Christmas Drink Drive campaign

The no-holds-barred account was shared on the North Yorkshire Police Facebook page as part of the force’s campaign to reduce drink-drive incidents this Christmas.

The Facebook post read:

“My radio bleeped, a voice crackled, I was asked to go and deliver the message.

“For me, this is the hardest part of my job.

“The drive to the house was short.

"The Christmas decorations were up and I could see the silhouette of the tree at the window.

“I took a deep breath, I picked up my hat, I left the car before putting it on my head.

“It was only a few steps to the door, they seemed to last forever.

“I knocked.

"Loud enough so I knew it was heard, but not too loud that it scared.

“A young girl appeared, so small, about six or seven years old, she looked so scared and didn’t say a word.

“I wasn’t expecting this, it had never happened before, I had a daughter not much older than her, so did what I thought was best.

“I knelt down, so I was the same size and asked for her mum, I already knew her dad wasn’t home.

“I knew this as he was currently fighting for his life, only five minutes down the road, in fact you could hear the sirens from the house.

“I knew he was unresponsive; I knew he had heavy blood loss, I knew he had a severe head injury, I knew the fire service were cutting him out of the vehicle and I also knew I was about to shatter someone’s life, with the message I was about to deliver.

“Her mum appeared, she turned pale, and hurried the little girl away.

“We were quickly on the way to the hospital, the car was silent.

“I honestly expected to be updated he had died, the son, the father, the husband but he didn’t.

"Yes, he was very poorly and spent several months in hospital and more attending appointments, but he lived.

“Just like the bloke who hit him, the one who failed a breath test, the one driving whilst double the drink drive limit.

“That bloke had to spend a lot more time away from his family though, he was sent to prison for his actions that night, he never thought it would happen to him, he didn’t think he was over the limit.

"It did and he was.

“Don’t shatter someone’s life this Christmas time.

"Don’t drink and drive.”