Second flesh-eating disease death

Police said the contaminated heroin may be black in colour

A second heroin user has died following an outbreak of the flesh-eating disease necrotising fasciitis, it has emerged.

Strathclyde Police and NHS Lanarkshire were investigating the deaths, as well as the infection of two other people who may have injected the drug.

In two of the cases the heroin had turned black in colour when prepared.

A warning was issued after the death of a male drug user on Christmas Eve. Police have now confirmed another person died on 3 January.

Police said inquiries indicated that the contaminated heroin was thought to contain bacteria which could cause the disease and may have been sourced from the Lanarkshire area.

Users experiencing redness or swelling around the injected area were told to seek medical assistance.

Eight years ago a similar outbreak claimed the lives of 43 addicts over six months in Scotland, north west England, the West Midlands and Dublin.