Drugs 'challenge to Valleys future'

Mr Bryant hosted the crisis summit with local agencies and police and was told that drug dealers were prevalent on the streets of Rhondda.

Six drug-related deaths have occurred in recent weeks in Rhondda and Bridgend, fuelling experts' concerns that problems are reaching epidemic proportions.

Rhondda Cynon Taff council leader Pauline Jarman said the authority was devising its own action plan to tackle the problem on all fronts.

The council has drawn on areas such as education, harm reduction and detoxification units.

Drug agency worker Paul Williams, of the Community Addictions Unit, said there were currently 96 people on a waiting list for treatment to help them kick the habit.

Mr Bryant highlighted the growing problems in the Rhondda valley during prime minister's questions last month, urging Tony Blair to commit more resources for a co-ordinated approach to drug abuse.

Estimates suggest that as many as 12 people a week in the Rhondda Cynon Taff area overdose on heroin.

Meanwhile, the mother of a young drug addict whose funeral was held in Porth this week has appealed for an all-out campaign against drugs.

Sheila Chubb's 28-year-old son Darren was one of six to have died from drugs in the county in a fortnight.

Speaking on BBC Radio Wales on Friday - just two days after his funeral - Mrs Chubb said she had tried to warn other addicts as her son's coffin lay waiting to be buried.

"I had the coffin open and I let all his friends come in and see him to make the point, 'This is what's happened to Darren'," she said.

"I wanted to say, 'Try and get your heads sorted out and get off drugs, and say no to the dealers, because you're all going to end up like this'," she added.

Mrs Chubb made an appeal for more support for addicts, and claimed that her son had sought help to kick the habit, but had been told it was not immediately available.

Rhondda Cynon Taff Council was invited to take part in Friday's drugs summit, but declined to send a representative.

The council explained it had scheduled a cabinet meeting on the drugs issue next Monday.