Four people are dead after taking a bad batch of heroin in Swindon.
Police have issued a warning to drug users after a man was found dead in the town centre in the early hours of Sunday morning (3 June).
Despite the best efforts of emergency services at the scene in The Parade, the casualty – aged in his 40s – was pronounce dead.
Detectives believe he had taken a contaminated batch of Class A drugs prior to this death, and think it could be linked to three other deaths in the past month.
All four individuals are believed to have consumed what they believed to be heroin before suffering medical episodes, Wiltshire Police said.
Since May 2024, police and healthcare professionals in Swindon have been alerted to a number of incidents where drug users have experienced very poor health from taking substances including heroin and cocaine, requiring medical attention.
It’s believed nitazenes – a new synthetic opioid – may have been mixed with the heroin, and poses a substantial risk of overdose, drug-related hospitalisation and drug-related death.
Superintendent Conway Duncan said: “We are in close contact with our colleagues in Public Health in relation to these circumstances and we are keen to ensure we protect people from harm where possible.
“Of course we would never advocate anyone taking illegal substances, however, we understand there are people with addictions and it is important that they are warned about the batch of drugs which appears to be circulating in Swindon.
“If you are a drug user in the Swindon area, we encourage users not to use alone and to carry the opioid reversal drug naloxone and be aware of the potentially fatal consequences.”
Anyone with any information, or concerns about drugs in their community, is urged to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
