BURGLARS FACE DRUG TESTS IN NEW RULING

Muggers and burglars will be forcibly tested for traces of illegal
drugs and sent into rehab under new powers introduced this week to
tackle the link between drugs and crime.

Suspects arrested for so-called acquisitive crime - even though they
may they later prove innocent -- will be automatically swabbed for
traces of cocaine, crack or heroin in their bodies in an effort to
identify those who are stealing to fund a drug habit. They will then
be assessed by counsellors, and those considered to be addicted will
be offered rehab treatment.

Refusing to be tested will be punishable with a fine or jail
sentence, while declining to comply with the assessment means
offenders risk being denied bail. People who turn out to be innocent
who have tested positive for drugs, will still be offered rehab
treatment if their habits are considered to be serious.

Until now, only people who have been charged have been tested for
drugs. Moving the tests earlier in the process raises the likelihood
that innocent people mistakenly arrested will be swabbed, and their
habits detected.

The tests will be piloted first in high-crime areas at greatest risk
from muggings and burglaries, and are designed to tackle persistent
offenders whose repeated crimes are driven by their addiction.

Drug-related crime is estimated to cost Britain around UKP16 billion
a year. A heroin user spends on average UKP50 a day maintaining their
habit, while a prolific crack user can spend hundreds of pounds a day
on the drug, making crime the obvious route to pay for it.