A HUGE quantity of drugs have been disposed of in North Belfast over the Christmas period.

The drugs and other paraphernalia were recovered from local BDACT (Belfast Drug and Alcohol Coordination Team) bins in North Belfast.

They included Tramadol and Pregabalin, also known as Lyrica.

Local SDLP councillor Paul McCusker said: "It is great to see that so many drugs have been taken off our streets, including Lyrica.

"There are so many people caught up in drug addiction. We know that North Belfast has the highest number of drug-related deaths in the city.

"The BDACT bins allow police to remove any drugs that could be a danger to the public.

"It is great to see they are being used and I would ask the public to continue to do so. They should continue to be accessible to the public in more communities."

A PSNI spokesperson said: "Police would ask anyone in possession of any drugs to use the yellow drop bins situated across the city to deposit them in, to ensure that they do not fall into the hands of vulnerable children or adults."