Fifth person arrested over 'unusual batch' of heroin in Devon

A fifth person has been arrested after two people died from what police described as an "unusual batch" of heroin in north Devon.

Two people have died and 10 were admitted to hospital, said police, who declared a major incident on Friday.

A man in his 30s from Westward Ho! died as a result of taking the substance on Friday, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

A second man in his 40s, from South Molton, who had earlier been admitted to hospital, died late on Saturday.

Two men and two women were arrested on suspicion of being involved in the supply of a controlled substance on Saturday, said the force.

A fifth person, a man, was arrested on the same grounds on Sunday.

All five have been released on police bail pending further enquiries, said police.

Emergency services were called after incidents in Barnstaple, Bideford and Westward Ho!.

A major incident, which was declared because of the number people requiring medical treatment over a short period of time, was stood down on Saturday morning.

North and West Devon local policing area commander Supt Toby Davies said: "Tests continue to be carried out to ascertain what the substance is, but it is suspected that it is a substance which users will find causes more serious effects than heroin which they might usually use.

"Health partners are continuing to work with local drug-users in a bid to safeguard them as much as possible, but we would continue to urge any users to exercise extreme caution."

John Findlay, national harm reduction lead for drug recovery charity Humankind, said it was "definitely a possibility" that nitazenes, potent synthetic opioids, were involved.

Bristol City Council-commissioned organisation The Loop said nitazenes had been found in multiple different samples in Bristol on Saturday.

Mr Findlay said: "Due to the reduction of opium that's being grown in Afghanistan, there is a gap in the market and unfortunately that is being filled by really, really potent synthetic opioids which are extremely dangerous.

"We don't know what's in any of them most of the time, because it's an unregulated market."

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