A Hadleigh police officer has warned of the dangers to youngsters of laughing gas, after used canisters were found in different parts of the market town.

Speaking while giving his Safer Neighbourhood Team report to Hadleigh town councillors last week, PC Mike Small confirmed scores of canisters have been discarded in public spaces near the council offices, Bridge Street, George Street, Angel Street and near the leisure centre.

Residents have also said canisters have been found between Benton Street and Clopton Gardens, along the school's boundary

Although the small silver-coloured containers of laughing gas, nitrous, or nos, is a chemical compound, an oxide of nitrogen with the formula N2O, are legal to buy and cyclists are known to use the N20 canisters as a quick way to inflate their tyres, in the wrong hands, a 'high' can be achieved, and can lead to people becoming ill and can kill.

Users sometimes fill a balloon with the dangerous gas to ease administration. and the side effects of N2O include transient dizziness, dissociation, disorientation, loss of balance, impaired memory and cognition, and weakness in the legs.

When intoxicated accidents like tripping and falling may occur. Some fatal accidents have been reported due to due to asphyxia (hypoxia).

Cllr Huw Roberts raised the issue of the apparent use in the town, which he said was particularly noticeable over the festive period.

PC Small said: "We are aware of this, it is one of the reasons we are focusing on the area near to the leisure centre.

"The problems with nos is it can be ordered online and the police is looking at trying to get some legislation brought in to make it harder to do that, but at the moment it is something youngsters can order quite readily.

"There have been cases where people have become quite unwell from taking it, so please report it to us and we will target known areas and we will mention this to the school."

*Read PC Small's full police report in Nub News tomorrow.

• What are experiences of crime in Hadleigh? Contact the editor: [email protected]