A NORTH-EAST MEP has called for a Europe-wide ban on legal highs.

Labour’s Jude Kirton-Darling said the substances were extremely dangerous and had caused serious harm and death.

The European Commission and the European Parliament have supported a ban, but it has been blocked by the European Council, which is made up of national heads of state.

The MEP said: “I have heard first hand of the damage that legal highs are doing here in the North-East.

“I visited Changing Lives and heard about the threat to our young people that these drug cause. They are cheaper than conventional drugs, are more freely available, but are actually more dangerous because we often have no idea what is in them.

“The European Commission was keen to take action because it is clear that the UK Government can’t tackle this alone but that the proposal has been blocked by national governments.

“I have written to the UK Government to see if they blocked action at a Europe-wide level or whether they would support a widespread ban.”