The drug MDMA, better known as party drug Ecstasy, could be used successfullyto treat alcohol addiction, research suggests.

Early findings from the trial - the first study to use the drug for such purposes - indicates that it could prove better than standard treatment.

Psychiatrists are testing a programme which combines a few doses of MDMA in conjunction with psychotherapy,

After nine months follow up, around half of those in the small study remained "completely dry" with just one suffering a full relapse. By comparison, eight in 10 of those given standard treatment to tackle alcohol addiction return to drinking within three years.

The results also found the drug was safe to use as part of therapy, with no physical or psychological problems identified.

Dr Ben Sessa, an addiction psychiatrist and senior research fellow at Imperial College London, who led the trial, said: “With the very best that medical science can work with, 80 per cent of people are drinking within three years post alcohol detox.”

Eleven people have so far completed the safety and tolerability study, which involves nine months of follow-ups.

“We’ve got one person who has completely relapsed, back to previous drinking levels, we have five people who are completely dry and we have four or five who have had one or two drinks but wouldn’t reach the diagnosis of alcohol use disorder,” he told The Guardian.