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Former MP Paul Sweeney yesterday declared he will risk arrest by working on the ­frontline of a mobile Drug Consumption Room.

The Labour politician has promised to join campaigner Peter Krykant and others who want a safe injection facility in Glasgow to prevent overdoses.

It will open in three weeks if Krykant can raise £5000 and will have access to naloxone, which reverses ­overdoses of opioids such as heroin.

Its advocates hope it will help tackle Scotland’s drug death rate, which is the highest in the world.

The move yesterday attracted a positive response from the Scottish Drugs Forum, which called supervised drugs rooms “a rational and evidence-based response to the problems we face – such as hazardous public injecting, HIV outbreaks and a high prevalence of ­hepatitis C.”

But the Home Office and the Lord ­Advocate, have said assisting people to take illegal drugs would break the law and leave staff and users open to arrest.

At the UK’s drugs summit in Glasgow last week, policing ­minister Kit Malthouse said those opening a DCR could face arrest but any ­decision would be made by police.

(Image: PA)

But Sweeney, who lost his seat as Glasgow North East MP last year, has long been committed to a safe space for addicts, which would include clean ­needles and medical treatment, if needed.

Sweeney said: “I first proposed this approach and have been in discussions for several weeks.

“I will be working as a ­volunteer on the frontline to help deliver the service, such is my personal commitment to it.

“This will be a direct challenge to the tedious grandstanding we saw from both the Scottish and UK Governments last week, demonstrating that in reality it is possible to operate a safe consumption room as a socially useful intervention that will save lives under existing law with low real risk of prosecution.”

Scottish Labour’s health spokeswoman Monica Lennon, who backs the Record’s calls for decriminalisation of drugs, supports the consumption van.

She said: “I’ve donated to the fund and will keep lobbying the Lord Advocate to grant ­immunity to anyone involved.

“To address this public health emergency, we need DCRs and same-day treatment and rehab.”

(Image: Daily Record)

There are more than 150 DCRs globally but ­campaigners say Scotland has the greatest need.

The Scottish Government said: “The introduction of such ­facilities will require a change in the law. The Scottish ­Government cannot condone any action which would be against the law.”

Police Scotland said it was “committed to new ideas to keep vulnerable people safer”, but claimed injection facilities presented “challenges” in terms of the Misuse of Drugs Act.