FOCUS ON LEEDS DRUG PROBLEM

A shocking picture of desperate drug abuse lays bare Leeds's tale of
two cities as never before.

Opposite the University of Leeds, ranked among the world's best, and
close to the booming city centre, two heroin addicts inject themselves
with a deadly fix.

Just yards away students walk by oblivious to the sordid scene
unfolding in an rubbish-filled alleyway.

New research yesterday revealed the illegal drugs trade in Britain is
bouncing back against tough action by police and customs with seizures
failing to curb demand or supply at street level.

The UK Drug Policy Commission report found the UKP 5.3bn drugs market
was proving "extremely resilient" to crackdowns by law enforcement
agencies, despite hundreds of millions of pounds spent each year on
tackling the problem.

The pictures were taken by university graduate Ben Haynes the day
after he moved into one of the flats. The 24-year-old civil engineer,
said: "I was going to bed and noticed someone asleep in the yard.

"I didn't think much of it at first, then I saw them jumping over the
fence. We saw them cooking up and shooting up. One of the blokes
injected the girl who was with them and the blokes injected themselves.

Many Leeds addicts still need treatment

"It was pretty shocking. Me and my flatmate are pretty liberal guys,
and we know this goes on, but it was still a surprise to see it so
close up.

"Someone even disturbed them but they just carried on with what they
were doing."

Mr Haynes immediately called environmental health about the rubbish,
which he feared had been left by the users and would more than likely
contain used syringes.

Council staff have since been sent to clear and clean the site. Police
in Leeds are currently working on the anti-drugs Operation Brava a
push which has so far led to more than 670 people being charged with
drug offences.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "The force also has important
links with treatment providers to help get users out of the cycle of
drugs and crime."

Last year, West Yorkshire's coroner recorded drugs-related verdicts on
the deaths of 18 people from the Leeds and Wakefield area - all but
one male. More than half the victims were classified as being
"dependent" on drugs.

The total drugs-deaths figures for the two previous years were 23 and
26 respectively, a small year-on-year drop, but the number of "drug
dependent" deaths rose slightly.