AN upmarket rehabilitation centre for people suffering addictions including drug dependency and alcoholism is due to open in Stourport in six weeks, the Shuttle Times and News can reveal.

The private clinic is aiming to tap the same affluent national - and even international - market as swanky London clinic, The Priory, which is frequented by celebrities.

Charges for treatment could run to thousands of pounds a week, although prices will start at £850.

The centre's clinical director Chris Brazil, who has given up his NHS job as programme lead for substance misuse in Worcestershire to concentrate on the private venture, said staff had links with Harley Street and were aiming for it to become a centre of excellence.

He said the clinic, based at the former county council owned nursing home, Areley House, would have 17 beds, a computer room, gym and other sports facilities, as well therapy rooms.

He added there was room for expansion and it was hoped the centre would be the first of many nationally.

It has cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to develop, but the identity of the financial backers of Areley House Ltd remains a secret.

Mr Brazil urged local residents - including pensioners in neighbouring Cedar Close sheltered accommodation - not to be alarmed by the development, saying it would be set in its own grounds and should "not really impact" on the community.

"I've known of other projects where people have got really scary about this kind of stuff but there really is no reason," he said.

"The clients we will be working with are not different to anyone else really."

He added: "It shouldn't really impact on people at all - they shouldn't really know it's there, which is why we chose this building ... there are a lot of myths about the people we will be working with that aren't really very valid."

Wyre Forest district councillor for Areley Kings, Jamie Shaw, said public consultation was needed or people would fear the worst, however.

"Picking up on what Mr Brazil said, yes, people will go for the worst case analysis and if something is slipped in without their knowledge they will be all the more ready to believe these are bad cases that are coming," he said.

"So I would suggest that they (Areley House Ltd) need to be prepared to meet the local population, which is primarily Cedar Close, but there are also private properties along Areley Lane."

He added: "Obviously these places have to go somewhere but if this just suddenly emerges on site, people will be very worried."

Mr Brazil, 49, said the centre would offer conventional Western therapies as well as Eastern and complementary medicine to treat problems including drug, alcohol and gambling addictions and eating disorders.

The centre's medical figurehead is consultant psychiatrist, Dr Pushpa Kaushal, who runs Worcestershire's substance misuse service, but doctors will be visiting from across the UK.

Mr Brazil added: "It will be similar to The Priory - not necessarily with celebrities, but we're aiming for that market."

He said staff were also hoping to forge links with local colleges.

"Some of the computer training will be at Areley House but also it's about sending people to facilities that everyone else accesses so it's about reintegrating people into society," he said.

He added "careful assessments" would be carried out before each admission, with clients signing contracts agreeing to adhere to rigid rules.