LOCKING up spice abusers who have been found in a collapsed state on Barnsley town centre’s streets is not the way forward, according to South Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner.

New legislation is being thrashed out between the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) which could see users charged with public order offences in a bid to stop the common problem from happening.

Dr Alan Billings, who holds South Yorkshire Police to account for its work, told the Chronicle that spice abuse remains a top priority for officers in Barnsley - but warned that locking them up is not the answer.

“It’s been a notoriously difficult issue to solve but these people who take substances are obviously very sad,” he said.

“The answer to the problem cannot be found by putting them in jail. Disrupting the supply chain and then rehabilitating users is more beneficial.

“It’s a time-consuming thing for officers whose duty it is to look after abusers if they are found on the street, but there has to be better joined-up working with other agencies including hospitals and councils.”

Spice, a synthetic cannabinoid available for as little as £2, takes effect within five to ten minutes and lasts for up to five hours, leaving users either collapsed on pavements or in a zombie-like upright position.

Synthetic cannabinoids, a former legal high, are now illegal and designated as Class B drugs and although people who are found with the drug on them can be arrested for possession, users often ingest the substance quickly.

Another form of the drug, known as ‘monkey dust’, has become more prominent and although cases in Barnsley are said to be minimal, officers have been put on high alert by Dr Billings to break up supply networks across the county.

“Monkey dust effects people differently so whereas ‘ordinary’ spice leaves users in a semi-conscious or unconscious state, this version is the complete opposite and takes an aggressive form,” he added.

In the 12-month period from September 2017, South Yorkshire Police received 1,174 calls from members of the public in the town expressing concerns for people believed to have taken spice in the public realm and, in 80 per cent of those cases, an ambulance was required to attend.

A public space protection order (PSPO) which effectively bans people engaging in antisocial acts in the town centre is in the final stages of being agreed and spice abuse is set to be included after feedback gathered from a public consultation showed the public want the issue to become a priority.

The PSPO will be in place until 2022 and the Chronicle can reveal that it is due to be approved by Barnsley Council’s ruling cabinet members before the summer.

Chief Superintendent Scott Green, district commander for Barnsley, said he is confident the new plan will be successful in 2019.

“Spice isn’t a traditional form of antisocial behaviour and instead it’s complex as users aren’t verbally or physically causing an issue,” he added. “They’re being antisocial, though, and there’s a role for us, the council and Public Health England to play collectively.

“Finding users in possession of spice is rare as it’s bought and generally taken quickly so when officers deal with a complaint, more often than not they aren’t in possession as it’s already been ingested.

“There’s a dedicated town centre team in place and there has been more stop and searches done on people suspected to be involved with spice.”