
Shocking footage shows homeless people being turned into the 'walking dead' after taking the drug Spice.

The video, shot in Manchester city centre, captures disturbing scenes of people frozen like statues as the substance takes hold of their whole body.

The city has experienced a surge in ambulance call outs after users have fallen victim to the drug's lethal side effects, with some left keeling over and smashing up their faces.

Meanwhile in Wrexham, north Wales, pictures have emerged of bloody needles and other drug paraphernalia discarded on a bus station floor, alongside images of people 'slumped' against walls and even a flower pot.

Bus driver Gavin Rodda, 35, took the photos to raise awareness of what he calls a 'growing problem' in the Welsh town, particularly with heroin.

Pictured: A new strain of Spice leaves users paralysed as the effects of the drug take hold of their senses on the streets of Manchester

Spice, pictured, is a synthetic drug that is supposed to mimic the affects of cannabis but has been known to cause seizures, psychosis, kidney failure and strokes

Meanwhile pictures have also emerged in Wrexham of people 'slumped up against a flower pot' near the bus station. Bus driver Gavin Rodda said he snapped the images to raise awareness of a drug problem in the town, although there is no suggestion anyone in these pictures has taken drugs

Some people were pictured 'looking like zombies' as they sat up against walls in Wrexham

Meanwhile, charity figures estimate that 95 per cent of Manchester's young homeless are believed to be on Spice.

WHAT IS SPICE? Spice is a synthetic drug that is supposed to mimic the effects of cannabis on the brain. It was banned in the UK last April and is also outlawed in many European countries as its actual composition is different to the real thing and some experts believe it can be 100 times as potent as cannabis. Harmful side effects include increased heart rate, seizures, psychosis, kidney failure and strokes. It has been linked to deaths in Australia and Russia, while in 2015 it was blamed for five university students being taken to hospital, with two from Lancaster University left in critical condition. An investigation by the Mail found that some of the drug’s most prolific users are secondary school pupils as young as 13, who smoke it before school and during their lunch break. Advertisement

One user said: 'I have used it for about two years. It's cheap in bundles and they are going for daft prices.

'Heroin users are saying it's the worst stuff going. It's dangerous.'

Julie Boyle, support worker at youth homeless charity Lifeshare, said the new Spice on the streets had terrifying effects on people.

Last Thursday she found a woman collapsed at a tram stop, having taken a drag of what she thought was cannabis but turned out to be Spice.

When an ambulance arrived the paramedic told her they had been called to 26 similar incidents that day alone.

Ms Boyle said: 'In the city centre there are people who just look like they are frozen, like the walking dead, sat in a catatonic state not moving.

'You wouldn't even know they were alive – it's like when you press pause on the telly. They don't know where they are.

'I first noticed it probably the beginning of last week but then it's intensified more as the week's gone on.'

Spice is a general term for a synthetic drug originally classed as a legal high but outlawed last April. It is now being dealt on the streets instead of being bought in shops.

The drug has already been causing chaos, with Lifeshare warning of youngsters being trafficked, gang raped, contracting HIV and even dying as a result.

Another man was pictured lying face down on the floor of the bus station in Wrexham

Another man was snapped in the bus station toilets appearing to be taking drugs

However, Ms Boyle said the latest strain – which she is hoping to get tested for its contents – is even worse.

She explained: 'Whatever's going round the city centre at the moment is causing this.

'Every corner where there are beggars or homeless people hanging about, out of every six or so at least two will be catatonic.

'People are falling without even putting out their hands, which would be your natural instinct.

Others were seen 'drooping' against walls near the bus station in north Wales, left and right

Mr Rodda also shared pictures of needles found on the bus station floor, pictured, covered in blood

He said a colleague had been injured and required medical attention after cutting himself on a scalpel, pictured, while cleaning the station

'They're just falling face down, injuring their face or the back of their head. It's horrible. It was bad enough before but this is another level.'

Lewis Morris, 37, who has been living on the streets since December 2016, knows all about this new strain of Spice.

He said: 'It's lethal. I was walking down Market Street the other day and 17 people went down on it. They hit the deck shaking out of control and I had to phone an ambulance.

'It's madness. It's so cheap. Whoever is selling it they are making a lot of money on it. It's unreal.

'The new stuff is mixed with the tranquilliser they use when transporting koi carp to calm them down.

'Somebody could offer me £1,000 of it now but I would just burn it. That's how against it I am.

Mr Rodda, pictured, has urged police to do more to tackle drug problems at the bus station

He also shared images of what appears to be drug paraphernalia wrapped in foil left in the toilets, pictured

'It's really cheap. People are getting it for £5 a gram and it will last you all day. It's taken over heroin and crack.'

Another homeless man Michael Cauchi, 37, said he accidentally took the new strain of Spice and thought he was going to die.

He said: 'Somebody passed me half a roll-up once and I didn't realise it was Spice. I thought I was dying.'

In Wrexham, Mr Rodda said he felt it was time 'the public saw what was going on' and shared a variety of pictures of drug paraphernalia.

Writing on Facebook, he said: ‘Some of these pictures are shocking but it's the reality of everyday life for the addicts that use there and the mess that they leave for the public to see.

‘I want people to see this and come together to find a solution to the major drug problem that Wrexham currently has. Is it really going to take a death of an addict inside the bus station to make a change? I hope not!’

He added: ‘People of all ages use Wrexham Bus Station and a lot of children pass through it on a daily basis. ‘

Other drug-related items were pictured left on a toilet seat at the Wrexham bus station

Blood-stained foil has also been found in the toilets at the bus station, with police urged to take more action

‘No one should be subjected to seeing people high on legal highs like Mamba or high on heroin which is being smoked in the toilet cubicles and injected too.

'As you can see in some of these pictures, there are needles being left in the toilets with blood by them.

'There are the remnants of Heroin that has been smoked using Tin Foil. There are empty Methadone bottles that were left on the back of toilets.

'All of the paraphernalia pictured was within reach for a child.’

There is no evidence to suggest the people pictured are drug-users.

Mr Rodda said a friend is responsible for clearing away paraphernalia from the station and ‘does not get paid enough’ for it.

He added: ‘Elderly passengers who use the Bus Station are increasingly saying that they no longer feel safe in there and they are intimidated by the groups of addicts who ask them for money.

‘Even with two security guards now present in the Bus Station, it is not enough to deter the addicts and their behaviour.’

It is understood North Wales Police have stepped up patrols in the area but Mr Rodda is calling for the police to set up a base near to or in the bus station.

He added: ‘For a lot people, myself included, Wrexham Bus Station is our workplace and we feel that it is no longer safe to work in, even with the attempts that have been made to control the drug problems.

‘We work in a place knowing that there are people walking around carrying syringes on them which could be used as a weapon at any given moment.

Pictured: The new strain of Spice has also caused users to keel over, with many smashing up their faces as a result

‘I personally feel that if a person is not using a bus service or a shop inside the Bus Station then they shouldn't be allowed inside there. We need stricter controls to make it a safer place for everyone.’

District Inspector Paul Wycherley, of North Wales Police said: 'We understand the concerns of local people which have been brought to the fore again today by the publication of photographs which were taken some time ago.

'Since they were taken much partnership working has gone on to improve the situation in and around Wrexham town centre and we are continuing to work with others to address these issues.

'Where we can we will use legislation in terms of the Misuse of Drugs Act to cover possession and usage of controlled substances and ASB legislation to combat nuisance.

'This is not however something that is for the police alone to deal which is why we are working closely with the local council and others.

'We have joint plans in place and we will all continue to play a part in making Wrexham a safer place.'