Cocaine charges linked to Watford have plummeted during the pandemic – but a non-profit organisation says the problem is “definitely” worsening.

Between February 2021 and March 1 there were just eight charges and the year before there were 15, latest police figures show.

That compares to 29 in 2019/20 and 25 in 2018/19 – the two pre-pandemic years.

Nicholas Conn, a former drug runner turned Help4Addiction founder, said the numbers are “exceptionally low”, adding: “The impact that Covid has had on people is its own pandemic.

“Rehabs are chock-a-block – it’s the busiest couple of years rehabs have ever had.”

He said latest charges likely reflect lockdown nightlife closures – where people are more often caught – while private home use has risen.

Calls to Help4Addiction have soared 150 per cent with huge amounts of users relapsing due to the pandemic, he added.

It comes after a Watford Observer investigation last month found traces of the class A drug in all nine pubs we tested.

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Mr Conn, who said he could still “get a gram quicker than a pizza”, believes the problem is unsolvable but removing flat surfaces in toilets would help.

A Herts Police spokesperson previously said: "Tackling the supply and use of recreational class A drugs in Watford remains a priority for the constabulary.

"I’d like to reassure the public that there is a significant countywide focus on prevention and enforcement against this criminal activity.

"We have numerous teams working to proactively disrupt and dismantle county lines and organised crime networks that bring illegal substances into the borough."

Last week a Watford drugs kingpin was jailed for seven years after £4,000 worth of crack cocaine was seized during a raid.

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He was being tracked as part of long-running investigation into drug supply into the borough.

The police spokesperson said the 'Scannet' system operates in many Watford premises meaning those found with drugs are banned from all venues.

Watford's PubWatch also enables information to be shared on suspected criminal activity and police work with venues to ensure they respond appropriately. 

For information on Help4Addiction, a helpline for alcohol and drug addiction, visit its website.