A COUNCILLOR has said there's been "an explosion" in the number of nitrous oxide cannisters being dumped at beauty spots in Hereford.

Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, can cause permanent damage in the central nervous system, paralysis and can even be fatal.

Paul Rone, Conservative councillor for Redhill, volunteers with a litter picking group in the city and has seen a huge increase in the number of cannisters which have been dumped, such as places near the river Wye.

"We've seen an explosion in it, and hand in hand whenever you find these things there's an immense amount of litter," he said.

"It's obvious to us that whoever is getting this gas in them is then losing that element of sensibility that you don't just chuck your cans in a water course, and you don't just leave your hot burning barbecue near some dry heather.

"You just don't walk away from it, and it's absolutely immense."

He added: "They're cheap. If you search for them on any cooking or culinary site you can buy 24, or in some cases 30 of them, for £10."

The gas is commonly sold in small metal canisters which is often transferred into a balloon for inhalation.

It comes as the trade body which represents the UK’s compressed gas industry has demanded the Government issue an “outright ban” on the sale of nitrous oxide.

Sold legally, the gas is used for medical and commercial uses, such as making whipped cream – but is illegal when sold as a psychoactive drug. When inhaled, the gas can cause elation and hallucinations.

Calls for tighter restrictions on the sale of nitrous oxide have increased during the coronavirus pandemic as UK teenagers seek “quick lockdown highs”.

A report from the British Compressed Gases Association (BCGA) said the gas was now the second most commonly used substance among 16- to 24-year-olds in England after cannabis, with half a million having used it in 2019.

It added that 12 per cent of substance-related deaths mentioned nitrogen or nitrous oxide on the death certificate.

Coun Rone also said in the past has found a number of the silver cannisters dumped near the Greenway Bridge over the river Wye.

Hereford Times:

He added: "There are cases where youngster have taken it and where they've either had another underlying condition, or in some cases where they're asthmatic and it's affected their central nervous system."

The issue of sales restriction was debated in Parliament on Tuesday night, with MPs calling for action to combat the problem.

Labour’s Rosie Duffield said that nitrous oxide was “no laughing matter”, and that boxes of canisters could be bought for as little as £5.

The BCGA represents more than 100 companies involved in the supply of industrial, medical, food and gases and related equipment.

Ellen Daniels, chief executive of the BCGA, has written to the Home Secretary calling for a total sales ban on the gas.

“Recreational inhalation abuse of nitrous oxide is prevalent in the UK,” said Ms Daniels.

“Used inappropriately it can cause serious damage to the health and livelihood of users and can prove fatal.”

The BCGA said it would be “delighted” to work with relevant authorities on how best to enforce a ban.