Inhaling gas no laughing matter for church bosses
Nitrous oxide canisters and associated items used to get high on the laughing gas were left strewn around the car park of a St Peter’s church following an 80-minute spree.
Cars were driven at speed during the incident at St Peter’s Baptist Church.
CCTV footage of it has been submitted to police.
The people taking part were not thought to be from Worcester although some local residents are believed to have joined in.
Tim Breed, operations manager for the church, said he was “shocked” by the number of canisters used during the incident, with five people seeming to get through 65 canisters.
“I was amazed that they were all still alive, basically, watching the CCTV,” he explained, adding that a driver of one of the two vehicles involved would inhale the gas before racing off.
“How he missed two people walking their dog I don’t know,” he said, adding that those taking part were “falling about laughing”.
Mr Breed said church members were patrolling at various times of day to keep an eye on the car park while he was able to monitor the CCTV from home.
St Peter’s parish councillor John Renshaw said he had been alerted to the incident by a local resident, who, with Mr Breed, gathered up the canisters, balloons and boxes used.
He reviewed the CCTV footage with Mr Breed. It showed two vehicles.
Mr Renshaw said: “Both cars remained there for about an hour and twenty minutes.
“During that time we saw the five youths in the cars inflating balloons with the contents of the cylinders and inhaling the contents.”
He added that one of the vehicles was driven at speed around the car park, revving the engine and doing hand brake turns
That enabled its registration number to be identified.
Mr Renshaw went on: “At one point we saw what appeared to be a local remonstrating with the youths but we don’t know what was said.”
He added that two girls also approached the youths and posed for photographs in one of the cars.
“Following our review I reported our findings to the police,” said Mr Renshaw.
He explained: “The problem the police have is that nitrous oxide is not an illegal substance and has a number of legitimate uses, such as in canisters of whipped cream.
“They would need evidence of intent to supply for recreational purposes for a crime to have been committed.”
He said the police would report back to him after tracing the owner of the vehicle which had its registration number identified.
Mr Renshaw said the local beat team had stepped up patrols in the area.
He had also spoken to Worcester City Council’s Community Safety and Youth Intervention Team, which would also be conducting targeted patrols in the area to speak to young people who might be at risk.
Police to step up patrols to clamp down on the use of 'hippy crack'
Nitrous oxide canisters and associated items used to get high on the laughing gas were left strewn around the car park of a St Peter’s church following an 80-minute spree.
Cars were driven at speed during the incident at St Peter’s Baptist Church.
CCTV footage of it has been submitted to police.
The people taking part were not thought to be from Worcester although some local residents are believed to have joined in.
Tim Breed, operations manager for the church, said he was “shocked” by the number of canisters used during the incident, with five people seeming to get through 65 canisters.
“I was amazed that they were all still alive, basically, watching the CCTV,” he explained, adding that a driver of one of the two vehicles involved would inhale the gas before racing off.
“How he missed two people walking their dog I don’t know,” he said, adding that those taking part were “falling about laughing”.
Mr Breed said church members were patrolling at various times of day to keep an eye on the car park while he was able to monitor the CCTV from home.
St Peter’s parish councillor John Renshaw said he had been alerted to the incident by a local resident, who, with Mr Breed, gathered up the canisters, balloons and boxes used.
He reviewed the CCTV footage with Mr Breed. It showed two vehicles.
Mr Renshaw said: “Both cars remained there for about an hour and twenty minutes.
“During that time we saw the five youths in the cars inflating balloons with the contents of the cylinders and inhaling the contents.”
He added that one of the vehicles was driven at speed around the car park, revving the engine and doing hand brake turns
That enabled its registration number to be identified.
Mr Renshaw went on: “At one point we saw what appeared to be a local remonstrating with the youths but we don’t know what was said.”
He added that two girls also approached the youths and posed for photographs in one of the cars.
“Following our review I reported our findings to the police,” said Mr Renshaw.
He explained: “The problem the police have is that nitrous oxide is not an illegal substance and has a number of legitimate uses, such as in canisters of whipped cream.
“They would need evidence of intent to supply for recreational purposes for a crime to have been committed.”
He said the police would report back to him after tracing the owner of the vehicle which had its registration number identified.
Mr Renshaw said the local beat team had stepped up patrols in the area.
He had also spoken to Worcester City Council’s Community Safety and Youth Intervention Team, which would also be conducting targeted patrols in the area to speak to young people who might be at risk.
What is Nitrous oxide?
Nitrous oxide, called hippy crack by people who inhale it to get high, is also known as laughing gas.
The colourless liquid makes users feel euphoric.
It can be deadly.
It can cause dizziness and impact on users’ judgement.
In large quantities it can also cause the user to pass out.
It is a legal product, with legitimate everyday uses.
It is illegal to sell or import it to be consumed by people.
Problem has been an issue for years says councillor
John Renshaw reported the nitrous oxide incident at St Peter’s Baptist Church to his fellow members of St Peter’s Parish Council during their most recent meeting.
Chairman Alan Tucker said: “Thank God for CCTV – CCTV on the church actually worked on that occasion.”
He added that the incident raised the issue of county lines, in which vulnerable children are recruited in the trafficking of drugs in rural areas, away from major cities.
Parish councillor Alan Tidy said discarded nitrous oxide canisters had been found around St Peter’s for a number of years “but not in the quantity John has discovered”.
Areas in which they had previously been left were the multi-use games area neat the Baptist Church and Aldersey Park.
Mr Tidy added: “I think people would be surprised how few officers there are in the city of Worcester.
“In our patch we have got a team of three covering the patch St Peter’s, Nunnery and Ronkswood.
“At night in this city there are very, very few officers.
“We shouldn’t be too hard on the police officers themselves.”