"I 'D HEARD about a number of people being arrested through Operation Nemesis and I thought it was a good opportunity to get help," said a heroin user of 10 years.

The 26-year-old from Tamworth, who wanted to remain anonymous, spoke about the help he is now receiving from the Substance Misuse Team, based in King Street, in Tamworth town centre.

Within a day of turning up at the centre he was assessed and prescribed a methadone script.

A commitment to work alongside the police on Operation Nemesis has led to more treatments now being available to users through the NHS.

The police hope that by arresting dealers and treating users, Operation Nemesis will combat the town's drugs problem.

"If you come to the Substance Misuse Team for treatment they will help you and you won't get in trouble and no information goes to the police," this drug user explained.

"It has to be completely confidential."

After a decade of smoking heroin, it is now time, he says, to get off drugs altogether.

"I started using drugs when I was about 15," he admitted.

"I started on cannabis, but it was harder to get cannabis and heroin was just more available.

"You get immune to it and your body needs more and more so you need to find more money, or some other way to get it.

"It's quite quick once you start taking it. It's done before you know it and before you realise it."

During the initial stages of his drug taking, he'd use a half a bag of heroin a day.

This progressed, and during the peak of his drug taking he was using about £200 worth of heroin a day.

"My life revolved around drugs. As soon as you wake up you have to have it or you can't function."

Any attempts he made to give up his habit completely were thwarted by painful side effects.

"I'd stop but then I'd start to feel ill," he explained.

"I'd get leg ache and back ache, I'd feel anxious and I couldn't sleep, you can't stand, you can't walk."

During his years as a user he has experienced some horrible moments – including witnessing three of his friends die from overdosing, but heroin, he said, numbed his emotions during these difficult times.

There are also physical side effects as a result of the poor diet of a typical heroin user.

"You don't eat much," he explained.

"I just used to eat sweets and yoghurts."

Some people also experience horrendous dental problems and suffer abscesses or even deep vein thrombosis as a result of injecting heroin.

Contrary to the typical image of a heroin addict, this drug user has held down a full time job for the last six years, and says he knows many other users who do the same.

When reflecting on why he first decided to try drugs, he said it was because he was "bored" and all his friends were doing it.

His advise to youngsters who may be thinking about trying drugs is to get a hobby.

If he'd concentrated on playing football, he said, he doesn't think he would have gone down the road of becoming a drug addict.

He believes Operation Nemesis has been a positive thing for the town and its community of drugs users, and it has "definitely made a dent".

As a result of the recent massive police operation, more than 20 suspected drugs dealers have so far been arrested.

Julie Atkin, team leader and community mental health nurse based at the centre, said users can be reassured that the treatment process has been speeded up, and people will not have to wait a few weeks to be referred.

She said: "Before Operation Nemesis, people who were dependant were having to go to GPs and get referrals for treatment.

"But now people are able to refer themselves.

"Our priority is to help people. It's completely confidential – they don't even have to tell their parents.

"We have an extremely none judgemental approach."

Julie said the operation has led to more people coming forward for help, and she hopes even more users will come forward over the coming months.

Therapeutic courses run at the Burton Addiction Centre are also available to help addicts.

And help is also available for cannabis users, and staff at the treatment centre will recommend other agencies that can help.

Confidential help for drugs users is available from:

●Community Substance Misuse Team: 01827 310 040;

●Addaction: 07795 256 977;

●Burton Addiction Centre: 01283 537 280;

●T3 – help for the under 19's: 07872 060 095.