Call for action against dealers

Upper Bann MLA Sydney Anderson said: “My thoughts and prayers are with the Dougan family at this time as they come to terms with their tragic loss.

“My party colleagues on the Policing Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) have been working with the PSNI and others to create a workable drugs strategy for the Banbridge District, and I will be doing everything possible to ensure that through the community safety strategy the issue of drug abuse is effectively tackled not just in Banbridge, but across the entire province.”

“New ‘legal highs’ are a major threat to the safety of young people in the community; the public health agency estimates a new legal high comes onto the streets every week. We need effective and robust real-time responses from the department to tackle them.

“I hope that through increased police activity, and community support we will be able to address this issue and that the drug peddlers... can be removed from society.”