GHB theory on critically-ill Oswestry man

A 28-YEAR-OLD Shropshire man was fighting for his life in hospital today after he was suspected of taking the illegal drug GHB.

The man from the Oswestry area was today critically ill on a life-support machine at Wrexham's Maelor Hospital after it is understood he took a cocktail of the liquid drug and alcohol.

His parents were away on holiday when their son was taken ill.

But they were being flown back to be at their son's bedside.

Detective Chief Inspector Alan Edwards, of Shropshire police, said: "A man is in a critical condition in hospital.

"There is an allegation that GHB is involved. Police do not have any proof of it at this stage but that is currently being investigated.

"I would urge anybody who has any information about the use or supply of GHB in the Oswestry area to contact me as a matter of urgency."

Mr Edwards said the police were working with health services and the council in a huge crackdown on the class-C drug.

The case comes in the same week it was revealed a study would be conducted to investigate why Oswestry has one of the highest uses of GHB in Britain.

A health programme has also been launched to address the town's "entrenched" use of drugs and alcohol.

The young man's fight for life comes just four months after Sergeant Andy Pugh warned it would only be a matter of time before someone in the town died because of the GHB problem.

The town's magistrates also made an urgent call for the probation service to make help available for offenders who took GHB.

The call came after they were unable to give a 23-year-old man, who was struggling with a dependency on the drug, a community penalty as the probation service could not offer a testing programme for the drug.

Mr Edwards, of Shropshire police division said users of GHB did not know what they were taking as the quality and ingredients of the drug were different.

"GHB and the affects it is having on people are very serious.

"We are asking for the community to pull together to stop this happening and to stop other young people in the Oswestry area risking their lives­ by taking the drug."

By Iain St John