DRUG users in East Lancashire are being warned about anthrax-laced heroin after a man died.

The NHS said heroin, or a contaminated cutting agent mixed with it, was the likely source of infection which killed the Blackpool man.

Anthrax is an acute bacterial infection most commonly found in hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep and goats It normally infects humans when they inhale or ingest anthrax spores and can be treated if identified early enough.

There have been seven confirmed cases of the infection since June – one in Scotland, three in Germany, two in Denmark, and one in France.

Father Jim McCartney, from THOMAS, which runs a Lancashire rehabilitation centre in Blackburn, believes more should be done to help users kick their addictions.

He said: “When situations like this happen it reminds us that heroin addiction is still a problem in our society.

“I feel that we need to make more pathways up to users to get them into rehabiliatated and away from addiction.

“Heroin addicts are very vulnerable and can fall prey to bad batches of heroin, as in the Blackpool case.”