CHILDREN as young as 14 are dicing with death after becoming hooked on heroin being peddled on the streets of Worcester.

Parents are being urged to be extra vigilant in a hard-hitting campaign called TACKLE - Take Action to Curb the Killer - launched by St Paul's Hostel, in Tallow Hill, Worcester, this week.

As part of the campaign, the hostel has teamed up with police, Turning Point and others, to produce around 30,000 hand-held cards advising parents of the symptoms their child might display if they are taking drugs such as heroin, crack or cocaine.

The cards are being distributed to schools and parents in Worcester in a bid to highlight how children are at risk of drugs.

Shocking statistics from coroners' courts show that, in 2001, there were more drug-related deaths in Worcestershire than in Birmingham.

And a former heroin addict, who we have called Simon to protect his identity, has described in chilling detail how deadly heroin and crack are just a phone call away in Worcester, with dealers ready to supply within minutes, for as little as £10.

"The police are fighting a losing battle against drugs - by the time they turn up at a house ready to raid it, the gear has been moved," said Simon, who had an £80-a-day heroin addiction.

"As soon as a dealer gets hold of it, there are so many addicts in Worcester waiting to buy it, they could sell it again 10-fold."

He wants to warn parents - and children - that drugs are an ever-present danger, no matter where they live.

"I've seen 14-year-old kids high on heroin," said Simon, who has attended eight funerals in the past two years for people aged under 30, killed by drugs.

"Parents must not bury their heads in the sand."