A LEAFLET circulating in the region's schools warning about a "tattoo drug" has been dismissed as a hoax by police.
Officers say the letter, aimed at parents and purporting to come from the Metropolitan Police, is misleading.
The message has been circulating for a number of years and reappears at regular intervals. It says that a form of tattoo called a "blue star" is being sold to schoolchildren.
The letter says: "Each star is soaked in LSD, and the drug can be absorbed through the skin simply by handling the paper."
The letter has been seen in the Darlington and Durham areas in recent weeks. Police say it is "rubbish" and point out that LSD cannot be absorbed through the skin.
Detective Constable Leigh Johnson, drugs education co-ordinator for Durham Constabulary, said: "Schools in Durham and Darlington have been contacted by the relevant education authorities and advised to give no credence to this letter.
"It is a letter that has been circulating on and off for a number of years, and it does not originate from any official body."
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