SCOTLAND YARD’S new chief is launching a drive against middle-class drug users who think it is now socially acceptable to take cocaine at a dinner party or a club.

Sir Ian Blair, speaking on his first day as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said that his officers would make an example of cocaine users to enforce the message that no one and nowhere is beyond the law.

Possession of cocaine carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and a fine but most offenders escape prosecution with a caution or warning.

Sir Ian said yesterday that this could change. “I am making it clear there is no position where one group of people is exempt from the law,” he said.

“People think it is OK to use cocaine but I don’t think it is okay. It’s become socially acceptable in some areas. People are having dinner parties where they drink less wine and snort more cocaine. I don’t like that.”

The drug is now thought to be Britain’s second most popular drug after cannabis, with an estimated 237,000 regular users. Britain now tops EU countries in the use of the drug and, according to one study, the new breed of users typically includes those who split a gram with friends at weekends.

Sir Ian said: “We will have to do something about it, make a few examples of some people.”

Looking at the tasks before him Sir Ian said counter-terrorism would be a major task. He said it was inevitable that terrorists would attempt to launch attacks and they have already done so.

Sir Ian distanced himself from his predecessor’s outright opposition to the Government’s plans to allow 24-hour drinking.

He said that he was not “overly concerned” at the plans and praised some measures being planned by the Government. He insisted, however, that that pubs and clubs should be forced pay for the policing which would be required.

Sir Ian said: “What I don’t want to see is officers deployed at that time to the detriment of other services.” The commissioner said he wanted his officers policing at 5pm, not 5am.

He said the late night drinkers were a “special interest group” and he compared them with football policing where clubs paid towards police coverage. “This is not about the little Italian restaurant that wants to stay open until one am but major establishments.”

Sir Ian has been No 2 to Sir John Stevens for five years and has a reputation for being “politically correct”. Leaders of junior ranks who met him last week reported that so far they were impressed by his aims but some senior officers suspect he may still have difficulties with the rank and file.

SIR IAN'S PLANS

24-hour drinking: pubs and clubs should pay for policing.

Terrorism: attacks attempts inevitable, some already thwarted

House arrest: need controls for plot suspects

Racism: police still institutionally racist but major improvements made

Knife violence: mandatory prison sentence.

Manpower: drive for at least 35,000 operational staff

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