Ref. 26165-64 BOSSES at Swindon College are studying photographs of students suspected of smoking cannabis which were handed over by the Evening Advertiser.

Lecturers have launched a crackdown on drugs after it was revealed some students regularly smoke what appears to be cannabis joints during the college day.

Tutors are confident they will be able to identify the offenders, who face being suspended and brought before a disciplinary panel.

The students were filmed by security cameras at Kembrey Business Park, where the college has two units used by its building studies and construction department.

The Advertiser has passed the uncensored footage to student manager Dave Corcoran, who is responsible for enforcing discipline.

He said yesterday: "The images are very clear and I will be meeting colleagues who teach at the Kembrey site to try and identify those students.

"Hopefully, we can start disciplinary action straight away."

The pictures show students rolling and sharing the cigarettes.

Mr Corcoran, who drew up the college's drugs policy, added: "I am pretty sure what they are smoking is cannabis.

"You do not normally share one normal cigarette between a group, and it does look like a joint."

By coincidence, Mr Corcoran was due to meet the building students on Thursday the day the Advertiser's report was published.

He said: "I was speaking to them as part of our college-wide drugs education program.I spent three-and-a-half hours with the group and restated the college's zero tolerance approach to drugs.

"Besides telling them about the health issues I made it clear that if they were caught smoking cannabis at college it would also harm their employment prospects."

While at the site, Mr Corcoran also met managers who run the business park and security guards who operate the cameras, to apologise for his students' behaviour.

Head security guard Huw Davies contacted the Advertiser after he said his call for action was not followed up by the college or the police.

Besides his concern for upholding the law, Mr Davies also feared for the students' safety.

He said: "It could be dangerous because they are using machinery and a lot have mopeds or drive cars.

"They smoke it almost every day, and don't seem to be worried about being seen."

The college is investigating why staff failed to look into Mr Davies' complaints.

It is also launching a poster campaign on Monday to highlight its strict guidelines on drugs.

Jo Phelps, speaking on behalf of Swindon Police, said only one incident had been reported to them and that was in November.

Students caught smoking cannabis face being suspended while an investigation is carried out. They are then issued with an official warning, which remains on their records for six months.

Anyone who is caught dealing will be expelled and reported to the police.