Sussex Chief Constable Paul Whitehouse today admitted: "The prohibition of drugs is not working."

The county's police chief believes a national debate is needed to find new solutions and discuss legalising soft drugs such as cannabis.

His views fly in the face of Government and opposition policies.

The Tories this week called for "zero tolerance" on drugs and £100 on-the-spot fines. Both Labour and the Conservatives oppose a national debate.

Labour reprimanded International Development Secretary Clare Short when she called for a national discussion on the subject.

But Mr Whitehouse believes current policies and policing are not working.

He said: "It is important we learn from history, and in particular how prohibition on alcohol in America failed."

He said prohibition was not stemming the tide of drugs in Britain and added: "There needs to be a debate nationally to explore alternative solutions and to provide more information on the ill-effects of drugs.

"People are not informed well enough about the effects of drugs, including alcohol."

He said he did not believe all drugs should be legalised but a national debate should be broad enough to discuss issues surrounding the legalisation of soft drugs.

He said: "It should also discuss alternative ways of destroying the market for heroin and cocaine."

The Chief Constable's views, which are likely to generate debate, are similar to those held by David Godfrey, former Governor of Ford Prison, near Littlehampton.

He advocates making heroin and cocaine available free to existing addicts in pharmacies for consumption on the premises.

He said that would instantly take the profit out of drugs and bypass the traffickers.

The number of drug-related deaths is increasing.

So far this year, 35 people have died from illicit drug use in Brighton and Hove alone, of which 27 were heroin-related.

Exactly the same numbers were recorded for the whole of 1999.