Jeremy’s drink driving conviction in September 2012 resulted in him waking up in a police cell on his birthday, losing his job, home and financial losses of more than £35,000.

Following an unhappy Christmas – being unable to buy presents and having to face telling family and friends – Jeremy has had to start re-building his life from scratch.

In a blog on the Cambridgeshire Police Facebook page, Jeremy explains the devastating effect it has had on him.

Last September, the night before my birthday, I met a friend in a local pub for a drink after work – and despite thinking early in the evening that I should leave my car and get a taxi, my judgment was impaired by several pints and I decided to drive home.

I was stopped by the police about a mile or so out of town. The policeman tapped on the window and before I knew it I was in handcuffs and being put into the back of a police van. I felt very alone and experienced a feeling of desperate panic at my situation.

I was taken to the police station and given a breath test, feeling extremely embarrassed as the officers talked me through the paperwork. I spent a night in the cell and woke up in the early hours of the morning on my birthday feeling this was the worst moment of my life.

After pleading guilty in court I was given a 16 month driving ban, with the option to take a drink driving education course.

Telling people afterwards was extremely difficult. I told my family at a family gathering just before Christmas, you can imagine how awful it was.

I consequently lost my job as a sales rep, company car, and my £35,000 salary. I also lost my home and had to move to lodgings– both due to lack of money and because I wasn’t able to do simple things, like take my shopping home, without a car. Financially, things have been extremely difficult. I wasn’t even able to afford to buy Christmas presents that year.

The loss of independence – both physical and financial, has been one of the biggest impacts on my life, particularly having to rely on others to get around.

It has also seriously affected my chances of employment – when you’re considering two candidates for a job and one has a criminal record, which would you choose?

My drink driving conviction has forced me to start re-building my life from scratch, and anyone who is considering it needs to be aware of the impact it can have on every aspect of your life.