Deadly drug PMMA 'far more toxic than ecstasy'

Police in Suffolk say that three deaths over the Christmas period may have been caused by a dangerous batch of ecstasy.

Its thought the tablets taken had a large concentration of a drug called PMMA, which is similar to the main component of ecstasy.

Harry Shapiro, from the charity Drugscope, told Today's Mishal Husain: "It's within the family of ecstasy drugs so the effects are quite similar."

"PMMA takes longer to have an effect, so people could take a tablet and think that it wasn't working and then take more."

"Having taken more you're dealing with a drug that's far more toxic than ecstasy."

"The police are talking about a rogue batch, it makes it sound that it's a very localised situation. Whereas in fact we've been tracking this over the last few years in different parts of the country."

First broadcast Today programme 2 January 2015.