THE SNP conference has backed calls for a safe drug injecting centre in Glasgow.

The city council and health board want to set up a Safe Drug Consumption Facility where addicts can bring heroin and inject under supervised conditions with sterile needles.

International evidence shows a drop in fatal overdoses and a reduction in the amount of needles and drug taking equipment left lying around public places like closes and back courts.

The Home Office however, won’t allow the council the exemption to drugs laws that is needed to open the centre.

Alison Thewliss, Glasgow Central SNP MP said the city needs it due to the rising death toll of drug addicts.

She said: “Glasgow already has drug consumption rooms.

They are in back lanes and in dangerous derelict buildings, behind bushes in filthy bin shelters and in closes, they are in public toilets. People do this regularly and they take risks every time they do of overdose and infection.”

Ms Thewliss said the UK Government was putting political dogma before ahead of people’s lives.”

She added: We have a problem in Glasgow and we have a solution but the Home Office won’t let us.”

Councillor Mhairi Hunter, chair of the city’s Health and Social Care Partnership, said there was nothing in the proposal that would prevent the police continuing to take action and disrupt drug dealing networks in the city.

She said the evidence of the effect of safe consumption facilities was overwhelming.