A LOST packet of tablets that are potentially fatal have sparked a police appeal for their return.
The packet of 40 dihydrocodeine tablets were lost in the Barnes Square area of Clayton-le-Moors yesterday morning.
The prescription tablets were lost by a local man in his fifties who then contacted police.
Police have advised that if they are taken in large quantities they have a similar effect to a heroin overdose.
The tablets are in a white cardboard box with the owner's name and address on the front.
They are opium-based and side-effects include progressive depression of the nervous system, reduced breathing rates, possible respiratory arrest, small pupils and hallucinations.
A police spokesman said: "We are very concerned that these tablets could fall into the wrong hands and will have potentially very serious side effects, possibly fatal, if taken in large quantities."
Anyone who finds them is urged to take them to the nearest police station or contact 01254 51212.
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