MPs in north Essex have refused to back calls for the drink drive limit to be lowered.

The Parliamentary Advisory Committee has called on the Government to reduce the amount of alcohol drivers are legally allowed to drink after a stagnation in the decline of people being caught.

The committee’s report requests the current limit of 80mgs per 100ml of blood be reduced down to 50mg.

This would bring England in line with many other European countries as well as Scotland.

But north Essex MPs have refused to back the calls which road campaigners say would improve safety and reduce the number of casualties and deaths from road accidents.

“They said more research into the topic was needed before they would support a drop in the drink drive limit.

Will Quince, MP for Colchester, said: “Any approach we take should be evidence-based.

“We should be looking at why people are still drink driving. I think we need to look to Scotland and see what the evidence there suggests and whether changes would be effective in deterring people.

“Ultimately, we want to know whether it will stop people from drink driving and it is important to get it right.”

Harwich and North Essex MP Bernard Jenkin said he was firmly against a change in the law. He said: “I think it would be a mistake.

“We saw the most dramatic decline in drink driving in the early Eighties and Nineties when we had a massive education programme and we haven’t seen anything like that for a number of years.

“There is no evidence lowering the drink drive limit has any effect. It’s far more powerful if your family and friends condemn you for it.”

Witham MP Priti Patel said: “The Government has taken strong action to improve enforcement of drink driving laws, hold offenders to account and take tough action to improve safety and stop this crime.

“In terms of the proposal to lower the drink drive limit, this is something that has been looked at previously and I will await with interest the response to these new submissions on this matter.”

Calls to reduce the limit have previously been rebuffed by government officials.

In 2016, the Gazette backed a campaign led by Michelle and Steve Bell asking for the limit to be reduced to 50mgs of alcohol in 100ml of blood.

The couple’s daughter, Jordan, was tragically killed in a collision in 2008 when she was hit by a speeding driver who registered just below the drink drive threshold.

A Gazette-backed petition with more than 3,000 signatures was presented to the Government but Transport Minister Andrew Jones rejected the appeal.

The North Report, commissioned by the Government, also called for the drink drive limit to be reduced.