A college student has drawn up an action plan to tackle drug abuse in Shipley after residents voiced their worries.

Cathy Scarr, a second year degree student at Bradford and Ilkley College, has compiled a report which calls for better care and support for drug users in Shipley and for more information and education for young people and their parents.

The recommendations are the end result of a three-month research project - called Tackling Drugs Together in Shipley- which the community studies student carried out after requests by worried residents for new initiatives to tackle the drugs issue.

In the report she states: "From the statistics collected and the interviews undertaken, it is clear that heroin and methadone currently outweigh any other illegal drugs as a social and health problem.

"There is a need for further discussions with local residents, particularly parents and young people, about issues of prevention, support, diversion, community safety, and to explore possible locally-based community development initiatives to tackle drugs concerns."

Further recommendations include drugs awareness training in schools and the provision of information and support to families of drug users.

The report was produced with the help of questionnaires aimed at young people using community centres and youth clubs - all of whom said they'd experienced drugs in their communities - and interviews with youth workers, the police and probation service.

It highlights statistics which show that between 65 and 70 drug users attend the Shipley Health Centre for treatment, the majority of which are heroin users. In 1997, West Yorkshire Police made 11 arrests for supplying controlled drugs in Shipley and Frizinghall. Up to June this year, 20 arrests had been made.

On Wednesday July 8, the Shipley area panel will be asked to consider allocating Joint Health Finance funds towards addressing the needs the report it highlights.

Wendy Showell, of Shipley's City Centre Project, said: "There isn't any direct access to drug workers for young people in the Shipley area. At the moment we're sending people into Bradford to access that sort of thing, but around 80 per cent don't actually get there.''

Councillor Hazel Gundry (Lab, Shipley West), chairman of the area panel, said: "This research confirms that there is an urgent need for a variety of services to be provided at a local level to tackle drugs effectively.''

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.