Once schools had men in dog collars conducting assemblies.

Now three Hove schools will have sniffer dogs there.

Blatchington Mill, Hove Park and Cardinal Newman Schools have invited the police to bring in dogs that can detect drugs.

It is a sign of the times but the dogs should put the wind up any pupils who have been experimenting with drugs.

There is no reason to think these three secondary schools are any worse than others and the chances are, because they are well run, they are better.

But city council schools chief David Hawker and teachers know drug experimentation is rife and action has to be taken.

Mostly, pupils are dabbling in soft drugs. But as many people know to their cost, today's pot smoker can all too easily become tomorrow's crack addict.