Drugs found in police blitz on Staffordshire club hotspots
Heroin, cocaine and cannabis have been found in pubs and clubs across Staffordshire, with police revealing town centre venues were hotspots for the problem.
Officers say levels of cocaine they discovered were particularly high as they pledged to work with landlords and owners to bring illegal drug use down.
As part of new initiative Operation Safer Nights a team carried out swabs on revellers entering and inside licensed premises, while they also took samples from pubs and clubs in a series of unannounced visits.
Inspector Jared White, head of the force's licensing team, said: "The drug we've mainly found is cocaine – it's quite prevalent in town centre pubs.
"It's in all major town centres in the county, including Lichfield, Cannock and Stafford. We've carried out testing in South Staffordshire as well.
"Cocaine is being used in bars in Cannock and Stafford, although some venues have higher readings than others.
"We believe there are links between the use of alcohol and cocaine and night-time violence. People have been using cocaine in pubs and clubs for a long time but we want people to be able to enter these premises and feel safe."
Officers are now using the swab scheme to work alongside troubled venues in a bid to reduce drug use within their premises. If police swab a venue for drugs during a licensing check, they will encourage licensees to work alongside them and allow officers to swab the hands of customers as they enter the venue.
"It is in the interest of venues to work with us," added Insp White.
"We swab the male and female toilets in venues and communal areas – such as pool tables. When we come away we will find out whether drugs have been used on the premises and to what level.
"We then get in touch with the venues to see what their plan to reduce drug use on their premises. We then test them again after six weeks. If it carries on, we reserve the right to take them to the licensing authority.
"We can test any premises in the county, although we tend to concentrate on those with the most complaints or those we have been called out to – whether it be over noise or violence.
This scheme has been highly successful – we've had people ask us where we have been for all these years."
