Almost 8,000 drivers were arrested last year in England and Wales for being under the influence of drugs at the wheel.

The figures obtained by BBC Radio 5 Live from 35 of 43 police forces showed 7,796 “drug drivers” were arrested between March 2015 and April 2016. The Metropolitan Police made the most arrests with 1,636, followed by Greater Manchester Police with 573 and police in Cheshire close behind with 546.

It follows the March 2015 introduction of new drug driving laws in England and Wales, making it a specific offence to drive with certain drugs above set levels. These included cannabis and cocaine, along with eight prescription drugs like Temazepam and Morphine, used to treat anxiety and for pain relief respectively.

A study published by the Department for Transport suggests a quarter of young drivers know someone who has driven under the influence of cannabis, while 11 per cent know someone who has driven after taking Class A drugs.

Along with new laws, forces in England and Wales have been issued with roadside drug testing kits which can detect cocaine and cannabis, using a mouth swab which develops a blue line after eight minutes if the result is positive. If other drug use is suspected, drivers will still need to be taken to a police station for blood tests.

Prescription drugs covered by new drug driving laws:

Clonazepam

Diazepam

Flunitazepam (aka Rohypnol)

Lorazepam

Oxazepam

Temazepam

Methadone

Morphine

According to a Freedom of Information request by BBC Yorkshire, drug driving arrests went from 13 to 456 in the year the new test was introduced, a 3,400 per cent increase.