Police have issued a warning about heroin being sold on the streets of northern England after reports of users suffering "adverse reactions".
Detectives say the drug always carries a risk of death but are growing concerned following troubling reports of the side effects of a batch currently being made available.
The alert has been sparked by problems encountered in Barrow, in Cumbria, where the drugs trade is heavily-influenced by gangs from Merseyside.
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Many dealing networks that spread across the country also have operations closer to home, meaning there is potential for the same heroin causing concern in Barrow being available on the streets of Liverpool.
Merseyside Police and Cumbria Police have worked together in recent years to halt the Liverpool to Barrow supply route.
In April, a joint operation that also involved Wirral Council's Children's Services department concluded with the jailing of a man from Old Swan for 11 years and three months for his cocaine and heroin enterprise on the streets of the town.
Jack Hartley, 27, and of Maddocks Street, Old Swan, was one of four people from Merseyside prosecuted over the network.
Speaking because Cumbria Police has received multiple reports of heroin causing unusual side effects, Detective Sergeant David Hetherington said: “We urge those who are considering taking heroin to consider the potential consequences of their actions. Taking drugs can prove to be fatal and ruins lives.
“There is support out there for people affected by drugs and I’d encourage people to access the support services, such as Unity, can provide.
“I would like to urge anyone with information on the supply of illegal drugs to contact us so we can investigate and protect our communities.”
Anyone with information about drug supply can call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
