9:15am Monday 12th March 2007
By Gareth Bethell
THIS is the scene that police officers faced when they closed down a Swindon crackhouse.
New head-cams managed to catch a desperate addict injecting heroin into his groin just as police came through the door.
Video footage released to the Adver shows the man taking the drugs before stumbling onto a bed.
Insp Adrian Burt, of Swindon police, said the image shows that taking drugs is far from glamorous.
He warned what may start out as recreational drug taking can easily descend into the seedy sights he was confronted with that day.
"This is the first time we have ever captured drug taking on camera, which shows the success of the head-cams in gathering evidence," he said.
"The individual is a desperate person and relies heavily on drugs.
"With a person who is heavily addicted their day-to-day routine is about when they are going to obtain their next lot of drugs."
Police hope the footage will highlight the danger of drugs, "Taking drugs might start out as an inquisitive, recreational activity but it can turn into a very serious drug habit that will ruin and destroy the rest of their lives, and not just their lives but their family and friends and anyone connected with them.
"Their fixation really is just on the next hit," said Insp Burt.
The video shows officers raiding the house in Latton Close, Penhill, in November.
The man and his partner were kicked out of their council house after turning it into a drugs den for all comers.
Insp Burt said: "The woman came to answer the door and is trying to chat to us while he is injecting and we get straight in there and he is in the bedroom.
"We use the cameras on a regular basis now and they are used to gather evidence.
"Now it's not simply just the word of the police officer.
"This was all on video so there wasn't much of an argument they could put up.
"They are obviously now removed and the impact it has had on the local community is quite considerable.
"Previously there were a number of people suffering from their behaviour and the behaviour of the individuals coming to that address. Once they were removed that antisocial behaviour ceased immediately."
Swindon police have six head-cam sets which they use in various circumstances, such as during crowd trouble at football games and in the town centre on Friday and Saturday nights.
"Depending on how successful they are, we may look to purchase more," Insp Burt said.
"In 10 years' time it could be just another part of everyday policing."
Police did not stop the man injecting himself for fear that they might snap the needle in a struggle.
Insp Burt said: "That individual is injecting into his groin because he was unable to find a vein anywhere else on his body.
"He had used the veins in his arms and legs so many times that he couldn't find a vein."
He said heroin users would start by injecting into their arms and legs before moving to in between their toes or fingers and then finally the groin.
"We have had individuals that we have taken to hospital and even nurses can't find a vein.
"A high proportion fund their habit through crime so it's not just them it affects but the victims of crime. That's what we are trying to stamp out."
DRUG workers hope the video will be a real eye-opener for those experimenting with illegal substances.
Bill Carlton, the director of Swindon and Wiltshire Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service, said: "This is a very real video, and it is very good that something like this is in the public domain. Of course people can choose not to watch it, but it really removes the veil of glamour that for some people surrounds drug addicts and addiction.
"The life of a drug addict is not glamorous.
"I thought that the way the police handled the situation was excellent, and increasingly more and more we are noticing that the police are taking more interest in the methods of drug treatment because that is often the best way to deal with addicts, but clearly there has to be a balance.
"I think this video will have the effect of perhaps shaking up those people who are experimenting or exploring the use of heroin."
Therapist Thalia Shannon-Eyers, of Step Aside Consultancy, based in Wiltshire, gives support to recovering drug addicts and alcoholics.
"Anything that will make people see the reality of drug taking can only help things," she said.
"I think it will make people sit up and think oh my gosh'.
"However, if someone does take drugs they need help because they will become addicted. It is inevitable.
"People seem to think taking drugs is glamorous because they see it on television. They see people celebrating something that is good by drug taking or drinking but they need to get out of the glamour and realise the anguish that people suffer when these glamorous' ideas get out of hand.
"The pictures may stop people from drug taking and I think that the general reaction upon seeing these pictures will be that of disgust.
"It will hopefully make teenagers think that drug taking is disgusting but then again they may feel invincible and think they will never get like that.
"I don't however think it will make people realise his pain, which is what drug taking basically is - to cover emotional pain."
Richard Kramer, the director of policy at Turning Point, the organisation now in charge of Swindon Druglink, said he was more concerned about where the addict was injecting his drugs.
"Turning Point is aware of the worrying trend among injecting drug users to inject into the groin and this usually happens when they have exhausted usable veins in their arms and legs," he said.
"Groin injection is even more dangerous than using other sites on the body as it is more susceptible to infection and the chances of hitting an artery are much higher than if you were to inject elsewhere.
"This is certainly not a glamorous lifestyle - something most drug users would agree with, given that groin injection is usually the last resort."
IF you are worried that someone you know may be getting into drugs there is help and support available...
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