Former heroin users from Bradford are to visit Amsterdam on a fact-finding mission which could shape Government Drugs policy.

The women, who are undergoing rehabilitation with the Ripple Drugs Project, will visit controversial "clean houses", where users are legally allowed to inject banned substances. And their feelings about the policies are to be presented in a report to be sent to the Home Office.

The research project, which will see the women spend three days in the Dutch capital, is a key part of the women's rehabilitation programme.

All of them were addicted before they signed-up with Ripple's Buttershaw-based project in January.

Today the women said they relished the chance to help to frame a more effective policy which might prevent others following them into the habit.

But they had doubts about some of the liberal policies in place in Amsterdam.

In the "safe houses", users at the height of their addiction are given free clean needles and spoons and have special cubicles where they can go to take the drugs.

Ripple director Yvonne Oliver said she questioned the effectiveness of "clean houses" but was "keeping an open mind" until she had seen them in action.

"A lot of these policies have been talked about in Bradford and the Home Secretary has mentioned them as a possibility," she said. "It is a harm minimisation proposal allowing them to take drugs in a hygienic environment."

She added: "In Bradford we have users going into empty houses where we have found examples of dirty spoons and needles. The effect is that they are injecting bacteria into themselves, as well as the drug."

Paula Trotter, one of the group members, said she believed her input could help to create a more effective drugs policy. "I had reached rock bottom and now I'm clean," she said. "I just want to learn about why I did it and hopefully that might help someone else. I want to give back to society some of what I have taken away. When I was growing up, the message was simply 'say no to drugs' and to be honest I didn't listen."

The Ripple day rehabilitation project receives no statutory funding. To raise money for the Amsterdam visit, the women will take part in a sponsored walk on August 11 along the Leeds-Liverpool canal. Anyone wishing to sponsor them should contact Ripple on (01274) 693900.