A DANGEROUS chemical sold as a legal high has become the first drug to be temporarily banned after being referred to the Government by Swindon police.

Methoxetamine, known as MXE or mexxy, was referred to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) earlier this month by several forces, including Wiltshire Police, after it was linked to two deaths in Leicestershire and a surge in hospital admissions locally.

Now the chemical, used as an alternative to Class C drug ketamine, will be made illegal for up to 12 months before Government advisers decide whether it should be permanently controlled.

In its report to the Home Office, the ACMD said while there had been no confirmed deaths related to the substance in the UK, use of mexxy can lead to agitation, a fast heart rate and unsteadiness on the feet, which are rarely seen with ketamine or other recreational drugs.

The decision also means police can search those suspected of possessing mexxy and anyone caught producing, supplying or importing it could face 14 years in prison.

Wiltshire Police Chief Inspector Paul Granger welcomed the decision and said officers would be actively enforcing the new ban.

“We are very pleased the Government, as a result of our submission, has taken the step to ban mexxy,” he said.

“We will be robustly enforcing the ban in order to protect drug users and the community from it. By working with the Community Safety Partnership and health bodies, we have taken the lead in Swindon.

“We can never reiterate enough that just because you are buying Eric-3 or whatever else, you may not know what is in it. We have found them mixed with Class A drugs and if you get caught with Class A it is a whole different ball game.

“Mexxy does make people behave in bizarre, out-of-character ways and you don’t know how you are going to react.”

Chief Insp Granger said police would look to target suppliers and importers in the crackdown on the drug.

He said: “What we are most interested in is the people who are trafficking it.

“They are selling it in packets labelled not for human consumption or for animal use and there is a good reason for that.

“They are drug dealers effectively and we now have the powers to tackle them.”