CAROLINE Lucas has called for a new discussion about introducing heroin shooting galleries in Brighton and Hove.

The Green MP told The Argus it was “seriously wrong” that shop staff in Brighton’s Lanes regularly found needles and puddles of blood in their doorways.

Ms Lucas called for a renewed debate on the introduction of safe spaces where addicts can inject drugs safely – known as shooting galleries. She said: “I believe our city should revisit the idea of drug consumption rooms – safe and supervised places where addicts can inject or inhale illicit substances without fear of prosecution and with a much reduced impact on the community too.”

She added: “We urgently need better ways to reach out and save lives.”

Jack O’Neill, director of the Dark Water Gallery and Simona Barbu, a sales assistant at neighbouring Camelot Jewellers in Meetinghouse Lane, said they regularly arrived at work to find the lane splattered in blood and dirty needles in the gutter.

Brighton and Hove was one of three cities to run a pilot scheme giving addicts medical grade heroin in dedicated “shooting galleries” to investigate the impact on crime and overdoses.

The three year trial showed 100 addicts visited clinics where they were given drugs, support and help with housing and social needs. Three quarters reduced their use of dangerous street heroin, the average amount spent on drugs fell from £300 to £50 a week and the number of related criminal offences fell from 1,731 in 30 days to 547 in six months.

Following the trial there were calls for the project to be rolled out nationwide, but they never materialised.

An expert group made up of public agencies, including the police, probation service, the voluntary sector, the city council and NHS explored the feasibility of a drug consumption room in 2013.

But the proposal was widely criticised and shelved.

Earlier this year Durham Constabulary became the first police force in the UK to give addicts diamorphine – medical heroin – to inject in specially designated settings.

Ms Lucas suggested that concerns about drug consumption rooms near their homes could be assuaged by creating mobile facilities that could move around the city.

She said she now hopes to work with officials in the city to try to reopen the debate. A site has been found to launch the UK’s first “fix room” where drug consumption would be legal, in Glasgow.

It is hoped the facility in Glasgow city centre, which would allow users to take drugs under supervision, could be operational in early 2018.

The £2.36 million a year service would be paid for by the local council and NHS, but doctors have said the proposal would save the wider NHS money.

Whilst Brighton and Hove has shaken off its titleas drugs death capital, there were still 56 deaths between 2014 and 2015.

In March, the city saw four heroin fatalities in the space of just 24 hours. Kayleigh Jukes, 24, Elvis Monaghan, 35, Alexander James, 56, Adam Webb, 39, all died in unrelated incidents.

l Turn to page 10 for The Argus comment.