Health watchdogs in Bradford are pushing for a residential drug detox centre to be set up in the district.

Members of Bradford Community Health Council voted unanimously in favour of the creation of a rehabilitation centre for the city's drug addicts during a public meeting in City Hall.

They will now urge the Bradford Drug and Alcohol Action Team, a powerful quango which brings together top officials from health, police and social services, to take immediate action to make the facility available.

CHC member Karl Dallas said that at present there were only five detoxification beds in the district. These were not designated for drug users but for the treatment of alcoholics or addicts with dual diagnoses, such as heroin addiction and mental illness.

Alison Richards, from DAAT, said it did not have funding of its own to create a centre, but brought together agencies involved with drug and alcohol misuse.

She added: "The majority of drug misusers are treated in the community without the need for residential care. For those who have that need, the view of the majority who work in the field is that it is more successful if they undergo rehabilitation away from their local area.

"The need for other supported housing is being kept under review. DAAT is encouraging the training of staff in housing projects where there are drug misusers who require help and support."

Doctor Michael Ross, who runs a specialist clinic for recovering addicts, said he dealt with 19,000 consultations a year and had about 800 patients at any one time.

He said although £3 million was designated by the local health authority and the Council to treat drug addicts often "the resources simply did not follow the patients around".

Earlier Sue King talked about the Agape Project which she set up in Idle.

She said the project had 12 beds and offered 24-hour supervised accommodation for young male drug users who were trying to kick their habits.

But she added it was not a detoxification centre and she had on many occasions phoned up and down the country trying to get addicts into such centres, without success.

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