Despite a national rise in the number of drug related deaths in the past three years, Bromley has defied the rest of the UK to see such fatalities drop.

However, in Lewisham drug fuelled deaths have crept upwards with 46 of them recorded between 2015 and 2017.

Of these deaths, 34 were men and 12 were women and 72 per cent of the cases were resulting to drug abuse or dependence.

Between 2012 and 2014 there were 36 drug poisoning fatalities in Lewisham.

Bromley paints a slightly more positive picture but there were still 25 drug deaths between 2015 and 2017 – 15 men and 10 women.

This is compared to 33 between 2012 and 2014.

READ MORE - Drug-related deaths in Lewisham are highest since records began

Across England and Wales there were 3,756 deaths relating to drugs in 2017, which is the highest total since records began in 1993.

Karen Tyrell, executive director of alcohol and drug charity Addaction, said: "The truth is that most drug-related deaths are preventable.

"People who use opioids often have cumulative physical and mental health problems.

"Most of them have had very difficult, often traumatic lives and we're letting them down if we don't give them the best care that we can.

"Nobody wakes up in the morning and decides to become dependent on drugs.

"Everyone deserves help, and we know that every person can recover with the right support."