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Westminster high on drugs? Speaker wants sniffer dogs in Parliament amid reports of cocaine use

WION Web Team
LondonUpdated: Dec 06, 2021, 03:16 PM IST
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Photograph:(Agencies)

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The suggestion is currently being reviewed by senior MPs after an investigation by British daily The Times found traces of cocaine at 11 out of 12 test sites

Alarmed over reports of rampant drug usage on Parliament grounds in the UK, the Speaker of House of Commons is considering calling police sniffer dogs after traces of cocaine and other drugs were detected in Westminster.

The suggestion is currently being reviewed by senior MPs after an investigation by British daily The Times found traces of cocaine at 11 out of 12 test sites.

Among the sites where traces of drugs were discovered include a bathroom close to the private offices of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has vowed to launch an investigation.

“The accounts of drug misuse in Parliament given to the Sunday Times are deeply concerning – and I will be raising them as a priority with the Metropolitan Police next week. I expect to see full and effective enforcement of the law,” he said.

“It may be that we now need to broaden the range of sniffer dogs … to include those which can detect drugs,” The Times cited Conservative MP Charles Walker as saying.

Sniffer dogs have previously been deployed in the House of Commons to detect explosives.

The places tested with drug use in the sweep are only accessible to those with a parliamentary pass, or visitors allowed in who have to be accompanied around the building by the person they are meeting.

Recently, Boris Johnson discussed his new plans to crack down on drug use and distribution across the UK, set to ‘make an example' out of middle-class offenders.

(With inputs from agencies)