Cocaine is increasingly acceptable at dinner parties

Rising figures come at a time of increased concern that use of cocaine is becoming more socially acceptable.

New Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has warned he will target middle-class cocaine use.

A record level of nearly 7,000 people were cautioned or convicted for cocaine offences in 2003, up from less than 5,800 the previous year.

And there were 2,260 crack offences - up from 1,800 in 2002 - compared with just 530 in 1997.

Cannabis increase

There was also an increase in the number of people dealt with for cannabis.

The figures showed 82,000 people were found guilty of or cautioned for cannabis offences in 2003, the highest for five years.

But there were falls in figures for both heroin and ecstasy offences. Those dealt with for heroin fell to 10,520 and ecstasy from 6,050 to 5,530.

The total number of drug offences increased 5% to 133,970, with 110,640 of those leading to a conviction or a caution - nine out of 10 for possession and the rest for dealing.

Home Office Minister Caroline Flint played down the rise in offences and said action was being taken against dealers through Operation Crackdown.

"The figures in the report are nearly two years old, according to the most recent published figures in British Crime Survey drug misuse is broadly stable and any increases in arrests and seizures are likely to be a result of more effective police activity.

"Arrests for cannabis possession have fallen by one third in the first year since re-classification and it is encouraging to see that 60% of those convicted dealing in large quantities of drugs or in class A drugs receive an immediate custodial sentence."