Blunkett calls crisis summit over crack

David Blunkett and Britain's police chiefs have called a crisis summit to discuss crack cocaine amid Home Office fears that the drug is causing "massive damage" to inner cities and feeding unprecedented levels of gun crime between rival gangs of dealers.

Drug experts are concerned that the record levels of cocaine being imported into Britain have driven down the price of crack to a new low and are creating a demand for the drug in markets outside urban areas. The Home Secretary and the Association of Chief Police Officers have called together senior government officials, police units involved in tackling crack-related crime and drug experts specialising in treatment of crack addiction for two days of talks in Birmingham this month.

The summit, on 24 and 25 June, marks the first time the Government has focused heavily on the dangers caused by one drug since the "Heroin Screws You Up" campaign nearly 20 years ago.

The Metropolitan Police last year dealt with 18 murders, 81 attempted murders and 72 other shootings relating to turf wars over crack. A Home Office spokesman said crack cocaine was the drug giving ministers the most serious concerns.