Drugs arrests hit record

Dinner parties with cocaine and cannabis on the menu have sent drug arrests soaring to a new record, official figures showed yesterday.

The growing social use of illegal substances was blamed for a quarter rise in the number of people caught using cannabis since plans to downgrade it were announced in 2001. Cocaine arrests climbed by a fifth to a new record while crack-related offences also went up by a quarter.

Charities yesterday echoed Metropolitan Police chief Sir Ian Blair's recent warning that the trend was linked to casual drug use at clubs and at middle-class dinner parties.

The total number of drug offences in England and Wales in 2003 rose five per cent on the previous year to 133,970, the new Home Office figures showed. The 82,000 cannabis offences were the highest figures in five years.

Almost 7,000 people were dealt with for cocaine offences, up from fewer than 5,800 in

2002. Crack offences have shown a 326 per cent surge since 1997. However, there were falls in heroin and ecstasy-related crimes in 2003.

One in ten cocaine users were jailed and a third were handed a caution.

Richard Kramer, of addiction charity Turning Point, said: 'Drug use across the board is a growing social trend. These figures reinforce the need for the Government to invest more in prevention and treatment.'

However, Home Office minister Caroline Flint insisted: 'Drug misuse is broadly stable and any increases in arrests and seizures are likely to be a result of more effective police activity.'