FORMER addicts, police chiefs and academics have called on MPs to reform the UK's "failing" drugs policy.

The plea was made at a seminar on the future of drug policy at Ramside Hall Hotel, near Durham City, today (Thursday, November 27).

Delegates travelled from across the UK to attend the event, organised by Durham police and crime commissioner Ron Hogg.

Mr Hogg told the audience he wanted to see "radical" overhaul of the country's drugs policy, with laws that were "sensible but not soft".

He added: "We need to move from a criminal justice solution that doesn't work.

"We feel that drug addicts need help and support, and given treatment not custody."

Durham Constabulary Chief Constable Mike Barton said his view that addicts should be given heroin, rather than methadone was supported in a recent article by medical journal, The Lancet.

He added that his 35 years in policing had shown him that the current drugs policy of treating users as criminals was not working.

He added: "I pride myself on being a tough crime fighter but the reason I'm here today because prosecuting people and getting them in prison isn't the answer."

Mr Barton told how a Durham Constabulary exercise to tackle drugs supply across the county, codenamed Operation Nimrod, had resulted in dozens of arrests.

However, the police chief said he was later told by users that the operation had disrupted the supply of heroin in their part of the region for four hours.

Among those attending the event were local authority officials, NHS staff, prison service bosses, including HMP Durham governor Tim Allen, and recovering addicts.

Among the panel answering questions was former addict Rob Etherson, director of County Durham-based community interest company Clean and Sober Living.

He was addicted to drugs and alcohol for 25 years, before going through rehab.

He said "From a user-led perspective, as someone who is in long term abstinence-based recovery, we believe that addiction is a health problem,

"It's physiological, psychological dependence on a substance or behaviour that is beyond voluntary control - and needs to be treated as such."

Everyone attending the event was asked to sign a letter to be sent to all political leaders, including the Prime Minister.

The letter urged politicians to agree to reform drugs police.

It said: "We are not calling for the full legislation of controlled drugs, but we want a drug policy which will work. One that is sensible, not soft."

The conference included a performance by Durham Voice of Recovery, a choir formed after a rehab group and their support workers started singing together on a bus.