Change Grow Live’s site in Kings Terrace

HOMELESS outreach ser­vices fear “we’re going to be facing a very difficult winter” amid reports of dangerously strong opioids circulating in the borough.

Jon Glackin, founder of Streets Kitchen, said: “There’s been quite a few fentanyl-related overdoses in London. There seems to be a very dangerous combination of drugs circulating at the moment.”

Last week, Camden’s commissioned drugs service Change Grow Live sent round an alert from a police report that a woman experiencing homelessness had died from a “fentanyl-related fatal overdose” in King’s Cross station.

The Met Police say they have since completed tests on the syringe found close to her and found the death was not drugs-related. It said it raised the alarm at the time as there had been several reports of drug overdoses in King’s Cross station.

In August, the New Journal reported that a man in his 70s who was experiencing homelessness died from a suspected “bad batch of heroin” at an address in Arlington Road, Camden Town.

The Transform Drug Policy Foundation warned that the UK was sleepwalking into a disaster unless it prepared for the infiltration of potent ­synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and nitazines on the illegal drugs market.

The Town Hall said increasing overdoses have been identified in Camden.

Mr Glackin said: “It’s scary when you see someone comatose. We’re seeing a lot more people [heavily intoxicated] on the streets and you can tell they’re taking stronger narcotics. It’s frightfully important that as much noise is made as possible that there’s dangerous drugs around.”

But he added that because Streets Kitchen is meeting with hundreds of vulnerable drug users every week, there should be more support and communication with the organisation from the council.

Mr Glackin said they aren’t sure where to refer people for help with drugs in Camden since the Maragarete Centre closed down and the council has changed its services. They were promised a tour of Change Grow Live’s new site in Kings Terrace, Camden Town, but have not been contacted.

He said: “The only time we ever get a response or engagement with the council is when we highlight issues in the Camden New Journal. Our work is not valued in Camden and it is in other boroughs. We need to know where we can refer people, we need drug advice, we need naloxone, very simple things.”

A Camden Council spokesperson said: “We would like to offer our condolences to the friends and family of the person who tragically lost their life in King’s Cross. “Reducing drug-related harm is a fundamental part of the work that we are doing in the community with our partners, including Change Grow Live and Streets Kitchen, and we are continuing to invest in our drug and alcohol services that ensure support is readily available to those who need it.”