Suspected criminals held in custody could face an extra jail term if they refuse a drugs test. Prisoners in Slough, Berkshire, will have to undergo the tests from 1 April as part of an expanded police scheme.
Thames Valley Police hope to identify those people whose offences are related to drug abuse and to offer them treatment for their addiction.
Prisoners who refuse to take the test face a fine of �2,500 or up to three months in jail.
Three refusals
If they test positive for illegal drugs, prisoners will be sent to drug referral and treatment organisations.
The scheme is part of the Home Office-sponsored Criminal Justice Intervention Programme (CJIP) designed to tackle drug addiction.
Thames Valley Police has already been running the scheme in Oxford for more than a year.
Superintendent Paul Tinnion said: "Out of 1,084 prisoners in Oxford who met the Home Office criteria for testing in 2003, only three refused to participate."
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