Fresh call in Stoke-on-Trent for monkey dust to be reclassified

An MP has called for the drug monkey dust to be reclassified as a Class A substance after what he described as a big increase in people using it.

Stoke-on-Trent South's Jack Brereton said users had started fires and jumped off buildings in the city.

He highlighted Longton as a hotspot and business owners in the area told the BBC they felt "intimidated".

"You don't feel safe in the middle of Longton," one beauty salon owner said.

"You can see it all the time up and down. A lot of them fighting, they're arguing, they're shouting. You get clients feeling intimidated at times," she said.

Another businesswoman in Longton, who also did not wish to be named, said the situation had become "ridiculous".

"I used to do late nights, I don't now because it's dangerous. I've had to change where I park, because I have my takings," she said.

"You've got a lot of lovely working class people in Longton and [the users] are just ruining it."

Public Health England says Monkey Dust is the street name for Methylenedioxy-α-pyrrolidinohexiophenone or MDPHP.

It is a stimulant known as a cathinone and it is similar to another drug, MDPV or Methylenedioxypyrovalerone.

The government classifies synthetic cathinones as Class B drugs.

Conservative Mr Brereton said the issue appeared to be under control two years ago, but had "edged back in again".

"People have all sorts of reactions to it, jumping off buildings, starting fires, we even had people eating through glass windows because they don't know what they're doing," he said.

The MP said reclassification of the drug from Class B to A would increase jail terms for dealers who are caught.

Staffordshire Police said it had launched a dedicated operation with other groups to tackle the issue, with the aim of disrupting the supply of monkey dust in Stoke-on-Trent.

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