THERE were more than 3,400 crack and opiate addicts estimated in Oxfordshire between March 2016 and 2017, according to new figures.

The figure is one of the highest in the South East for people using crack cocaine with drugs like Heroin and is more than double areas like Southampton and Portsmouth.

The rise in crack and opiate use is a concern say drug addiction experts with 35,135 users estimated across the South East as a whole - an increase of 5,000 from four years ago.

Last month the Oxford Mail revealed how 'pocket money prices' for the highly addictive drugs meant more people were turning to crack.

Addiction treatment experts at UKAT say they are particularly concerned about the number of 15 to 24-year-olds using opiates and/or crack cocaine currently with that figure estimated to be over 3,600 in the South East.

UKAT’s CEO and former addict Eytan Alexander said: "“Teenagers misusing crack and opiates at such an early age will not only suffer with the physical effects of the drugs, but the drugs could impact their education, overall achievement in life and expose them to a criminal environment at a young age, without full understanding of the risks and consequences of their actions”