VIDEO footage showing the crippling effects of so-called ‘lethal highs’ on drug users in the North-East has been released.

The footage, taken on a CCTV camera in Newcastle shows people taking a new blend of Spice, known as Powder.

Northumbria Police released the video, which shows people unable to stand, as officers make four more arrests in a crackdown on the drug.

The footage was taken in the last two weeks and is made up of two clips of people taking the substance.

Recently, there was a significant spike in use of the drug but police now say that the amount of reports of people being found unconscious in the street is beginning to fall.

That follows a significant period of proactive policing that has seen another four people charged for offences linked to lethal highs since the weekend.

It means that since the first reports of people falling ill on June 4 there have been 16 arrests, ten people charged, two people summonsed to court and six people released pending further enquiries.

Superintendent Paul Knox says that the public should be reassured by the force's firm stance and hopes that by releasing the footage people can understand the dangers of the drugs.

He said: "This recent spike in incidents relating to lethal highs will have caused concern for members of the public but we have taken really positive action to take it off our streets.

"It is important to recognise that this is a nationwide problem and that the major cities across the countries are experiencing the same problems.

"We have been very proactive in sharing educational information about these substances and by taking enforcement action against those involved in the circulation of the drugs in our city.

"The recent spike in incidents is not as a result of an significant increase in the use of these drugs. We believe it is linked to a new blend of Spice that is being referred to as Power.

"Like Spice, it is unpredictable and nobody knows what kind of effect it will have on their body. That is why it was re-classified as a Class B drug in December.

"The number of these incidents is beginning to fall and a big part of that is due to the proactive police work by our dedicated lethal high task force supported by our city centre neighbourhood policing team.

"We have also tried to point users in the direction of appropriate support services as many of them are vulnerable individuals who have been targeted by suppliers.

"There is still more work to do to take these drugs off the street and we would encourage people with information about the supply of new psychoactive substances to contact police so we can put suppliers before the court."