A distraught Shadow Minister who attempted to call Police after seeing a possible drunk driver on the road one evening was told there would be no officers to be dispatched.

Works and Engineering Shadow Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin told The Royal Gazette she was driving home on North Shore Road when she noticed the driver ahead of her was swerving.

"I was following someone home who was inebriated and I decided to call 911," Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin explained.

"It was around quarter to 12 and I was told by the dispatcher that no one would be able to come to the scene because there was a shift change," she continued.

She was told that the closest Police officers who might possibly assist were plain clothed officers in St. George's.

"The man was swerving all over the place, going through the centre line."

She said she was afraid he would hurt someone else on the road possibly driving into someone on the other side of the road.

She followed the car but said she decided to turn off and return home after she passed Loyal Hill Road and was told that no Police officers would be dispatched to the scene.

"I wasn't going to continue following the man if no one was going to assist but I was worried," she said.

Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin brought the issue up in the House of Assembly during the debate on the new breathalyser legislation.

She said: "There's no point in having the machinery (the breathalyser) if we don't have people to operate it."

She also questioned the shift system where everyone was changing shift at the same time.

"Law and order can go on holiday for 15 minutes," she added.

She recommended that Police take up a "staggering shift change".

But she said she realised that there was a shortage of Police officers.

Police media relations officer Robin Simmons told The Royal Gazette inquiries would be made into the situation.