DRUGS TEST SHOCK FOR MP

THE former Home Office minister David Maclean failed a voluntary drugs
test at a police conference yesterday. The Tory MP blamed a headache
tablet after the equipment detected traces of opiates such as heroin
or morphine in a urine sample.

Mr Maclean said he bought the painkiller, containing codeine, over the
counter at Boots and took it last night. A further test was carried
out on the sample overnight to confirm the origin of the substance
that triggered the positive response.

The drug test company said the machine could pick up codeine, the only
non-prescription drug it was sensitive to.

Mr Maclean took the test at a conference of the Police
Superintendents' Association of England and Wales. A spokeswoman for
Mr Maclean said the former minister was confident of being vindicated
by the analysis.