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A recovering addict has urged drug users to seek help, following a spike in fatal overdoses in Cumbria.

Twelve deaths in the past month have been linked to the misuse of controlled or illegal pharmaceutical-type drugs.

Dave Higham, who founded The Well Communities rehabilitation charity in Barrow, said sourcing drugs online might have been a factor.

He added that recovery support was widely available in the county, and users should take it up.

Cumbria Police said intelligence indicated that experienced drug users were overdosing unexpectedly.

Det Ch Insp Dave Cooper said: "People are believed to be taking multiple different types of drugs - illegal controlled drugs and/or non prescribed drugs- without any way of knowing how these drugs will react with one another and what the impact will be for themselves.

"We have attended addresses following sudden deaths and recovered significant amounts of pharmaceutical drugs, with indications being that these drugs are being ordered online or bought from street dealers instead of prescribed by a medical professional."

Mr Higham believes the Covid lockdown was a factor, with people turning to the dark web to buy drugs.

"People don't know the strength when when they're from an unknown source," he said.

Mr Higham said the strength of drugs can vary wildly depending on where they are from and "that can be the source of the overdose".

"As the police say, it's mixing drugs as well. That's really dangerous because the other one knocks on to or affects the other and people overdose on the combination.

"So it could be a number of things."

He added: "Anyone struggling with issues should get in touch with a recovery service. Evidence says if you're in recovery service - if you're getting that support - you're less likely to have an overdose."

"There are more opportunities than there's ever been if people want a breakthrough from addiction."