Chris Hart, planning and commissioning manager for the Safer Hartlepool Partnership, told the Mail that 99 per cent of what the agency calls "problematic drug users" are on heroin.

And she says that with a wrap of the drug being sold on the streets for only £10, it can be hard to stop people being tempted.

Mrs Hart said: "There is no particular way people start with heroin. It can be for pleasure, to forget some form of trauma, to experiment, because of peer pressure or because people think it's cool.

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"There can be quite a lot of experimentation with young people but because of some people's genetic make-up they can be more prone to become addicted."

She believes heroin addiction is starting to plateau in Hartlepool as the physical effects of the drug puts young people off using it. But she said that is leading to a rise of other drugs and alcohol abuse.

Mrs Hart added: "If you try and be positive, there is a change in the young people coming through now. They have seen the lifestyles of heroin users and their physical appearance.

"They might be thinking 'I don't want to look or live like that'.

"But in the other direction, young people are using more alcohol and we have seen an increase in powdered cocaine use."

She added that Hartlepool has not seen the dramatic rise of crack cocaine that can be seen in bigger towns and cities, such as nearby Middlesbrough but people are mixing heroin with other drugs and alcohol in the town.

Mrs Hart warns that addicts are always running a big risk as drugs can be cut with anything from rat poison to chalk to boost the amount that dealers can sell.

Mrs Hart said: "Heroin in Hartlepool is very weak generally and those using it don't know what it has been mixed with or how strong it is before they use it.

"That's how people die, they don't know what they are taking and sometimes they mix drugs.

"The people selling it don't care, it's a commercial thing and they only want to get people hooked so they buy more."