A COUNCILLOR has launched a bid to stop heroin addicts from turning the town's multi-storey car parks into drug dens.

Coun Fionuala Foley (Con, Old Town and Lawns) has asked council officers to investigate putting ultra violet lighting into the stairwells.

She says heroin addicts will use anywhere sheltered to inject the drug, creating danger for shoppers parking in the town centre.

The purple ultra violet lighting stops drug abusers injecting because they are unable to see their veins.

Coun Foley said: "If it is raining outside heroin addicts will use anywhere to shoot up, even the stairwells in our car parks.

"It's a concern for me because I use the multi storey car parks and often use the stairwells. No one, and especially women on their own, wants to encounter someone injecting drugs.

"I have spoken to councillors and would like them to find out if the lighting has been a success in other places it has been installed, such as Tesco."

She explained that while she had not seen any evidence of drug abuse it was important to take preventative measures rather than "shutting the door after the horse has bolted".

In January the council announced it had completed plans to install the lighting into all of its public toilets.

This followed a successful experiment at Swindon Railway Station, where 19-year-old Kellie Marie Oakes died of an overdose in the men's toilets last February.

Swindon Council spokesman Gavin Calthrop said: "As in all public buildings we recognise the potential for car parks to be used for drug taking activities and constantly monitor the situation.

"As part of any future lighting improvement plans we will certainly consider the benefits of installing UV lights.

"This is especially in view of the success of the council's scheme to install them in all public toilets in the borough."

Ocotal Way supermarket Tesco installed the UV lighting after addicts started using the toilets as a warm, clean haven in which they could shoot up. Manager Mario Roncaglia said at the time that staff had even found drug abusers' blood in the sinks.

But First Great Western has expressed doubts about whether the lighting does succeed in cutting down drug misuse, since addicts have been known to draw their veins before entering the toilet.

Police spokeswoman Alvina Kumar said: "The police anticipate being consulted as part of the feasibility report and do not wish to pre-empt the findings."