New drug alert after man dies

POLICE were so concerned about a man believed to have taken a potent new strain of MDMA that they raced to his house to get him out of bed.

A total of 11 people fell ill over the weekend after taking the drug, known locally as ‘pink champagne’ or ‘magic.’

Police say that crystal form of the drug is extremely powerful and should be avoided at all costs.

A 26-year-old man from Rochdale has now sadly died, while four remain in a critical condition.

Police have also revealed that those who fell ill bought the drug from a number of different sources fuelling fears that multiple dealers are selling the drug.

At present, all of the patients are from the Rochdale, Oldham and Bury areas and are thought to be in their twenties.

It is thought that the drugs were taken at home, not at bars or clubs.

Chief Superintendant Neil Evans said officers went to the home of a man believed to have taken the drug with a friend over concerns for his health, after the friend because seriously unwell.

They found the man in an agitated and paranoid state - tell tale early signs of a negative reaction to the drug - but were able to help him in time.

Chief Supt Evans said: “One individual had been with another who had taken it. He went home and went to bed and his parents thought he was just sleeping off a night out.

“He became particularly agitated when we tried to find out how he was and he more or less stormed out of the house.”

Police and health chiefs say it is still too early to know if users are falling ill because the batch is particularly potent, or contaminated, but tests are being carried out.

Although unsure of its exact ingredients, officers are now desperately trying to find the source of the drug in order to stop other potential fatalities.

Chief Supt Evans says there had been a ‘very coordinated response’ between the force and NHS England as soon as the issue emerged over the weekend.

He said: “We realised the urgency of it very early on, when we had the first patient.”

A 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of supplying Class A drugs but has since been released under investigation.

But the policeman said that he was ‘confident’ that further arrests would be made soon, adding: “There are a number of lines of enquiry that lead me to be confident that further arrests will follow.”