Police in Bradford have launched a major crackdown on drug dealers in the city. But they are also seeking to take away the demand and looking at getting users in to treatment.One victim who is fighting to go clean is Craig, who would typically spend a full ten hours 'working' each day in the city centre.

As a homeless heroin addict, this simply meant stealing enough goods to feed his £70-a-day habit.

"I'd usually try to sleep around a friend's house," recalled the 19-year-old.

"If you had Drugs, you always had somewhere to stop."

With the early effects of withdrawal creeping up - he describes this as flu but 'five times worse' - Craig would get up and walk into the city centre for 10am, ready to shoplift anything he could get his hands on until the last store closed.

"Basically, I would sell the stuff at around a third of its price to buy gear (heroin). I might do three trips a day to buy gear, go somewhere secluded like a public toilet, take the gear and then carry on working."

Having taken his first smoke of the drug at just 14 - he succumbed to a local dealer's persuasions after trouble at home - by the time he was 18 Craig had hit rock bottom.

"I wasn't living, I was just existing," he said. "I felt the lowest of the low but I couldn't stop. I just couldn't see any way out."

Both treatment and punishment appeared useless against his addiction. While he would come off heroin during his inevitable jail sentences, Craig always began using as soon as he got out.

"When I was out I tried prescriptions but couldn't come off it. I started to believe that I would be a smack-head all my life."

Then, while sitting in the police cells after his latest arrest in May, Craig was handed a leaflet about Bradford's new arrest referral scheme.

Det Sgt Colin Stansbie, Bradford Police's Drugs Co-ordinator, explained that this provided addicts with immediate treatment, advice and support to kick their habit.

Of the 178 people visited in police custody by referral workers, 27 like Craig remain in treatment.

"Although the number of people who see it through treatment is relatively small, each one of those is one less committing an awful lot of crime," Det Sgt Stansbie said.

He highlighted Craig's case, who would steal more than £200 of goods every day and has not offended once since May.

The combined effect of dozens of such thieves can easily put firms out of business with massive social implications. And there is also the huge strain on police, court and prison resources they create.

"Potentially, with the resources in place, this scheme could have a massive impact."

Derrick Maliky a referral worker employed by Bradford's Ripple Project, said the addicts likely to benefit are those who had experienced a 'trigger' making them think 'I cannot live like this any more'.

"For those people, we have to be there ready with all the services for them," said Derrick.

"It is important to speak to them while they are in custody - at a time they are likely to be reflecting on their lifestyle."

For Craig, who currently attends a day care support scheme at the Buttershaw-based Ripple Project and is set to enrol at college, the arrest referral scheme has provide a long overdue lifeline.

"Without it I would definitely be still be doing the same thing," he said.

"If it had been around earlier I might have been off heroin for years."

He added: "I am taking small steps and for the first time I can remember, I am enjoying my life."

But he knows that his fight to stay clean will not be easy.

"I am not getting cocky or over confident. With Ripple's help I think I can do it but I know that one more bag is too much and 1,000 is never enough."