A detective who has vowed to continue the war on drugs in Keighley fears there could be a killer batch of heroin on the streets.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Bradley's warning comes as toxicologists test the blood of two Keighley men police suspect could have died after taking unusually pure heroin.

The batch could even be linked with the deaths of two people in Barnsley and detectives there suspect the heroin which killed them originated in the Bradford area.

Michael Clarke, 30, was found dead at a house in Edensor Road, Keighley, on January 19 and the body of 19-year-old Karl Griffin's of Drill Street, Keighley, was found on Tuesday at a house in Fair Isle Court

An inquest into Mr Clarke's death has been opened and adjourned for toxicology tests and Mr Griffin's inquest is due to open in the next few days. Toxicology tests will also be carried out.

DCI Bradley's warning follows yesterday's jailing of Sajid Khan, 19, of Drewery Road, Keighley, and Abid Rashid, 20, of Devonshire Street, Keighley, who admitted at Bradford Crown Court being involved in the supply of heroin.

The DCI, one of the leading officers in Operation Warp which has been targeting drug rings in Keighley, said today: "Our intelligence suggests that there's a batch of pure heroin on the streets of Keighley.

"My concern is that people are putting their lives at risk and that is why we are concentrating all our efforts on those who are dealing in drugs.''

In the last ten months, drug squad officers had arrested over 100 people more than in the previous ten months.

"People who use drugs must realise that they have no control whatsoever over what they buy from dealers,'' said DCI Bradley. "They don't know what it is mixed with or indeed how strong it is."

He said that even dealers were likely to be unaware of the strength of the heroin and that rogue batches could find their way on to the streets. It was only when they were analysed by professionals that the strength of the drug was revealed.

In light of yesterday's jailings, he stressed that officers would not give up their fight against drug dealers.

"Let this case be a warning to all those concerned in the supply of drugs and others, no matter how small a part they play. This operation is part of our continuing robust approach to the arrest and prosecution of people who see fit to peddle drugs," he said.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Khan and Rashid, arrested as part of Operation Warp, were said to be small cogs in a large-scale heroin-dealing operation and the ringleaders had escaped punishment.

Prosecutor, Stephen Wood said Operation Warp focused on a particular man who was believed to be a main supplier of heroin.

In October 1997, police raided various addresses, including a safe house in Bradford Road, Keighley, where they discovered an upstairs room had been used for cutting and bagging heroin.

Another property in Skipton Road, Keighley, was described as having been a meeting place for the drugs gang.

When arrested Khan was found to have the key to the safe house and police recovered the remains of 2,000 plastic freezer bags which contained traces of heroin. They had been used to make up the smallest street deals and together valued at £75,000.

Both men, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin and Khan admitted a separate offence of possessing cannabis.

They both admitted taking drugs to the safe house and bagging it up in the hope of being paid £200 each.

Barristers for both men said they had been befriended by others involved with drugs and were young addicts at the time. Twelve people were arrested during the operation. Both men will serve their time at a young offenders' institution.

Judge Gerald Coles QC told them: "You must feel cheated as you stand here today because the ringleaders have escaped punishment. That's another sad feature of the drugs scene. So often the main villains get away and it's the pawns who are left behind."

l Heroin is usually cut, mixed with other substances such as glucose or talcum powder to reduce the strength. In its pure form, heroin can kill.

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