A major drugs conference in the North-East today heard how the key to cutting addiction was better local services.

The conference, held at the Samsung Centre, in Wynyard, Teesside, gathered about 100 delegates from across the private and public sector.

Robin Burgess, from the Home Office Drugs Strategy Team, told the conference that providing local services was one of the key weapons in the battle against drugs.

"The drugs culture is a destructive force. It diminishes the lives of individuals, undermines families and people's employment and training prospects," he said.

"We have to have drop-ins and outreach projects and all these kinds of things people can do in a community instead of having to go into the centre of town for help. "We have to bring access to them in a language and culture they understand."

The conference was held in response to a new Home Office reporter entitled 'A Rock and a Hard Place' which among its findings, was the need for more local solutions.

About 100 people attended including people from the fire service, police, learning and skills councils, local authorities, health and probation.

It was organised by the North-East Drugs Prevention Advisory Service (DAPAS), part of the Home Office.

Fiona Young, North-East DPAS manager said progress would only be achieved by better co-ordination between those agencies tackling regeneration issues and those tackling drugs issues in deprived communities.

She said the aim of the conference was "positive, all-encompassing regeneration programmes throughout the North-East which should therefore have a greater chance of success." .