THE brother of a heroin addict has described his struggle to come to terms with the damage drugs have done to his family.

At one point, he was so desperate to wean his brother off heroin he kept him locked up in the family's home.

"But on about the fourth day I had to go to the shops and my brother smashed a window to get out and get drugs," said the man, who does not want to be named to protect his brother, but is in his early 20s.

"It had been hell seeing him go cold turkey and I'd held him, cried with him, tried to calm him down and still he got away from me. I thought that as my parents were away and we'd got the house to ourselves I could try and help him.

"As a family we've been through hell.

"Me and my dad worked out that my brother had stolen around £3,000 worth of stuff off us over the years to fund his habit. He's sold videos, CDs, mobile phones - anything to get money for drugs.

"At times I hate him for what he's doing to himself and my family. But I look at pictures of him when he was a child and he was such a sweet kid and I love him.

"It's really hard trying to deal with all the feelings I have.

"My brother's a great bloke, the life and soul when he's not taken drugs. But with drugs he's manipulative, a liar and he embarrasses and shames me.

"I walk through Worcester sometimes and I see people on heroin and see how others react to them and think: 'That's how they regard my brother'. This is going to end in one of two ways I think. He'll either kill himself through taking a bad lot of drugs or he'll end up in prison because of crime. I don't want that for him. I just want my brother back."

He urged people to use the confidential Crimestoppers line on 0800 555111 to report dealers.

"I wouldn't wish this on anyone and if there's a way to stop heroin being so easily available to people we should act.

"My brother started with cannabis and I blame peer pressure for him progressing to heroin. It could happen to anyone."

HEARTBREAK OF LIVING WITH A JEKYLL AND HYDE CHARACTER

"IT'S like living with Jekyll and Hyde," is how one Pershore mum describes coping with a son on drugs.

"Your whole life becomes dominated by drugs - and you're not the one on them."

The mother-of-four is currently trying to rally her strength to get through her son's next court case which is due to be heard next month.

"My son's in a young offenders' institution as a result of crimes he's committed to fund his drugs habit," said the mum, who cannot be named as court proceedings against her teenage son are imminent.

"I would describe him as a drug abuser rather than an addict of any particular kind as he's tried cannabis, heroin, valium - the lot.

"He tells me he's injected, but then he tells me a lot of things.

"He tells me he loves me and he needs me but when he wants drugs he'll abuse me verbally and call me a bitch and worse.

"My lad started to dabble with drugs at about 14. I don't know where he got them from but they were available.

"I know of other mums in Pershore in the same situation. Some of them don't get the verbal abuse from their children but they get their money or chequebook stolen.

"I look at other drug addicts and they disgust me. They make me wonder why they've made that choice to take drugs when others have particular circumstances or situations to deal with and don't take drugs.

"But then I look at my son and I know that others look at him and feel disgusted by him.

"I can't feel that. I still love him despite the absolute heartbreak he's caused me and my other children.

CRIMINAL CATALOGUE CALLED FOR

A WOMAN has called for Worcester residents aware of drug dealing to compile a "catalogue" of information on the criminals.

The woman, who did not want to be identified but lives in the Warndon area of the city, said she and fellow estate residents knew of one property in particular that was a haunt for people seeking drugs.

"The police haven't got the resources to keep a tab on the problem," she said.

" We need everyone concerned about drugs to log registration numbers and the times when cars come and go from houses where drug dealing seems to be taking place.

"These can be passed to the police, housing associations or Worcester City Council.

"Another way of passing on the information is to use the free Crimestoppers number, 0800 555111."

HORROR AT NEEDLE FIND

DRUG users who 'litter' a Worcester street with discarded needles are putting young children at risk, a city councillor has claimed.

Mike Layland said he was 'horrified' at the amount of needles lying around near homes when he visited Warndon's Cranham Drive last week.

He added he was so worried about the safety of children living in the area, he immediately contacted the city's environmental health department to collect the needles.

"This is very frightening. A child could be badly hurt or even worse by infected by HIV," he said.

"They were scattered in such a way that a child could step on to them. It's very dangerous.

"There are young families living in these flats and if the children are running about or being a bit of a handful they could easily fall on one. Children are also very inquisitive and could pick a needle up and hurt themselves."

Coun Layland said drug users need not risk other people's lives as there were allocated places in the city which allowed users to dispose of needles safely.

But he added many users did not think they were being irresponsible and really thought they were simply disposing of the needles.

"The users think by dropping them they're throwing them away, but they're not," he said.

"These actions aren't only dangerous for the children. Workmen emptying bags could be harmed by needles sticking out of them.

Martin Gillies, the city's principal environmental health officer, said needles were picked up when left on council property or in a place which put people at risk.

"We also pick them up when we receive complaints from the public," he said.

"We're looking into ways of combating this problem."