Drugs Rooms Call In Bid To Keep Addicts Off Streets

Swansea Drugs Project is calling for rooms to be provided for addicts to inject themselves in, to lessen the risk to the public.The idea was floated as police reported a good response to their appeal for information about a needle-wielding drug user who stabbed a city car park attendant.

They are following up a number of leads after this week’s daytime incident at the Orchard Street NCP multi-storey.

Swansea Drugs Project family worker Helen Spencer said: “We do provide a needle exchange scheme where people can bring back their dirty needles and have clean ones.

“I am aware that there is a problem of injecting in Swansea. And we would like to see rooms provided for people to inject, to minimise the harm to the public.

“A lot of addicts are of no fixed abode, so where are they going to go to inject? They are going to do it on the street or in car parks.”

Police have increased patrols in and around the city centre site since the incident.

And they are investigating another possible sighting of the three women they are hunting in connection with the crime.

The attendant approached the three who were involved in drug-taking on the level 10 stairwell, and was stabbed in the leg by one of them with a syringe.

The trio then fled the scene, and are being tracked by police.

NCP is working closely with the police, and is hopeful that CCTV footage will boost the inquiry.

It stressed that patrols, like the one being carried out at the time, were part of the company’s efforts to ensure car park users were in a safe environment. The incident took place at 2.30pm last Monday. The man was taken to the city’s Morriston Hospital for tests and treatment, but has since returned to work. He managed to retrieve the discarded syringe, which is also being examined forensically.

All three women were wearing white tracksuit tops and blue jeans.

Any information to police on 01792 456999 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.