by Gerry Warren

gwarren@thekmgroup.co.uk

A couple have issued an emotional warning about the dangers of legal highs after witnessing their son’s tragic spiral into a painful death.

Andy and Rachel Day have launched a damning condemnation of the new controversial UK Skunkworks shop in Canterbury, which peddles party pills and drug smoking paraphernalia.

Their son Simon (pictured below shortly before his overdose) died aged 24 after taking an accidental heroin overdose on New Year’s Eve in 2010.

But they say his addiction had been fuelled from an early age when he began dabbling in the now-banned substance ketamine.

Simon, a former pupil of Archbishop’s School who played guitar in local pubs, was the grandson of former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey.

He became hooked on the legal high which was deemed ‘safe’ at the time, but it went on to destroy his bladder and he ended up taking heroin to ease his pain.

His parents, who live in Thanington, Canterbury, have now joined the growing number of complaints about the new shop in Northgate.

The uk skunkworks shop

Freelance designer and photographer Andy, 49, said: “Simon originally scoffed when we warned him that taking ketamine could lead to harder drugs.

“But shortly before he died he was quite clear on the view that legal highs had in fact been a gateway to more serious drug abuse.”

“Rachel and I wholeheartedly agree with the views of Robert Wenn, who also lost his son and spoke out in last week’s Gazette. We share in his shock and are appalled that a shop selling legal highs and promoting the use of other drugs can be allowed to operate in the city centre.”

The couple, who have two other sons, had to watch the decline of the fun-loving, skate-boarding teenager who began smoking pot and dabbling in ketamine when he was just 15.

Rachel, 49, who is a practice manager for a GP surgery, said: “I guess we started to see the signs when he became more secretive and there was a change in his character.

“Of course we confronted him about it and he admitted he was smoking weed and taking ketamine.

We did a lot of research and were initially advised that if Simon was taking ketamine, then that was the least dangerous thing, but that was wrong.

“He began getting terrible stomach cramps and by the time he died his bladder was the size of a golf ball and he had to go to the loo every 20 minutes.”

Andy added: “Simon wanted to quit and we managed to get him into rehab but sadly he left early without beating his addiction and very soon after arriving back in Canterbury, which has a huge drug culture, could not resist the temptation.

“In one of my last conversations with him he expressed his anger at these legal highs being sold and referred to them as ‘gateway’ drugs that can lead to harder drugs.

“He died alone in his bedsit when he should have been celebrating New Year’s Eve with his friends. The pain and regret that my wife and I feel because we were away at the time will never subside.

“Please let Simon’s life be a warning and let some small good come of it.”