Warning For Sellers Of Mephedrone

PEOPLE found selling a plant food knowing it is to be used for an amphetamine-like 'legal high' could face a manslaughter charge if anyone dies, police in South Yorkshire have warned.

The force has gone public with its views on the controversial substance methedrone after it was linked with the deaths of two teenagers in Lincolnshire and a young woman in North Yorkshire over the last two weeks.

Although it is not illegal to be found in possession of the substance, nor to sell or to take it, the Home Office is considering making it against the law. It has asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to give its views at the end of the month.

In South Yorkshire police chiefs have issued a safety warning to those tempted to use the substance and are stressing that, should anyone die from using it, the person found to have sold it to the victim could be prosecuted.

In November the force put out a warning about the substance claiming it was being used in Barnsley.

The force said officers had been called to a number of incidents in the town involving young people believed to have been acting aggressively after taking the substance.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Williams, who works in intelligence, said: "Although at the moment it is only classed as a synthetic plant food, and this is what it is sold as, it is reckless to do so knowing what its intended use is and we would not hesitate to prosecute on those grounds.

"Those selling this substance know it is being used for 'legal highs' and that there is an inherent danger in taking it, and we will go looking for those supplying it should we get a death related to it here. They could be held culpable, we could be talking manslaughter.

"We want to warn people it is reckless to take this substance and reckless to sell it knowing its intended use. We hope the Government will make a quick decision on whether it is to be classified as an illegal drug."
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