Police chief blames well-off drug users for gang violence

WEALTHY middle-class drug users who take cocaine recreationally are fuelling a deadly knife crime epidemic, a leading police officer has warned.

Knife crime has soared by almost a quarter over the past year with much of the rise being put down to gangs battling over the lucrative narcotics trade.

But Simon Kempton, the Police Federation lead on tackling drugs, has suggested resources might be better used targeting wealthy drug users rather than street level dealers and addicts.

He told the Police Federation conference that the trade in cocaine was fuelling murder and violence, but that middle-class users appeared unaware of the consequences of their actions. He added: “The big market is people with money to spend and they are often oblivious to the misery they cause.”

Former gang member Sheldon Thomas, who helps young people through his organisation, Gangsline, said: “We need to tackle street gangs and gang crime but for me the big incubator is middle-class people who buy these drugs.”