TWO men have died amid police fears that a batch of bad heroin maybe circulating on the region's streets.

Police say they found a man dead at an address in Hebburn on South Tyneside on Sunday and discovered a second man dead at a house in nearby South Shields earlier today (Thursday, August 4).

Officers believe both men had taken heroin and police are concerned there may be either a 'bad' batch or a high purity batch of heroin circulating within the area.

Detective Inspector Paul Stewart said: "We're concerned that there have been two recent deaths as a result of people taking heroin and want to make sure we do everything we can to warn people of the dangers.

"We will be carrying out enquiries to identify the source of the heroin and taking action against those supplying it but it is really important that any heroin users are aware of the risk they are putting themselves into and we would urge them to take the advice of Public Health England."

John Liddell, Health Improvement Manager at Public Health England, North East, said: “Drug misuse presents significant risks to health and is a major cause of premature mortality.

"Drug treatment is widely available in South Tyneside and across the North East and we would encourage anyone misusing drugs, or anyone who has concerns about the use of a friend or family member, to contact their local treatment service for advice and support.”