Fake Valium contaminated with life-threatening fentanyl is circulating in Fife, experts have warned. 

Substance misuse group SMART Recovery Fife say the Kingdom has received an alert about the possibility of fentanyl contaminated pills being sold as Valium in the Cardenden area. 

The opioid fentanyl is strong painkiller. It's used to treat severe pain, for example during or after an operation or a serious injury, or pain from cancer.

But is also used as a recreational drug and the chances of overdose and death are hugely increased when taking it, compared to other opioids. 

That's why concerns of the ciruculation of the tablets are being shared by agencies to warn drug users of the risks. 

SMART Recovery Fife said: "Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid drug that is far more potent than heroin this can be a significant overdose risk people using pills.

"Due to the strength of fentanyl compared with other opioids there is an increased likelihood of overdose and death.

"Like other opioids, fentanyl overdose can be reversed by using Naloxone thus its important you ask for a take home Naloxone kit even if you are a Street Valium user." 

Street valium has been blamed for 'unprecedented' spike in drugs deaths in Scotland in recent years. 

In Glasgow there was a 43% rise in the number of people who died of drugs overdoses from January to October in 2018 compared with 2017.

 Frontline drugs workers say dealers are flooding Scotland with so-called "street blues", producing it quickly, in vast quantities and selling it for pennies.