West Yorkshire Police have made about 200 arrests in connection with the stimulant drug Mephedrone in the 12 months since it was made illegal.

Arrests have been made for offences, including possessing the drug, possession with intent to supply and importation, since it became an illegal class B drug on April 16 last year.

Sixty kilograms of Mephedrone, which is also known as M-Cat or Meow Meow, have been seized in West Yorkshire in the same period.

Since the reclassification, the sale and distribution of the drug has reduced significantly, putting fewer lives at risk, and the number of street seizures by police is reducing.

But officers are continuing to work with partner agencies to keep M-Cat off the streets and out of the country and provide support to those who are caught up in drug abuse.

Mephedrone, which originates from the KHAT plant, is a stimulant drug which causes insomnia, nose and throat irritations, increased blood pressure, hallucinations and psychosis.

A Mephedrone user can be sent to prison for up to five years while a dealer can be sentenced to up to 14 years.

Last month, Bradley Willis, 20, was sentenced to a minimum of 14 years imprisonment for the brutal murder of Darryl Longbottom at his home in Kenton Way, Holme Wood, Bradford. Both men were said to have taken Mephedrone that night.

West Yorkshire Police drugs co-ordinator, Bryan Dent, said: “We have not seen a rise in the use of other ‘legal highs’ and the use of Mephedrone appears to have decreased.

However, we are not complacent and my message still remains the same: M-Cat or any other legal high can have serious side effects that could put your life at risk and are extremely dangerous if you consume with alcohol or other drugs.

  • Read the full story in Thursday's T&A