TOUGH new orders, which are being introduced in Gwent to target "prolific" drugs-related crime, aim to help addicts beat their craving for hard drugs.

In the last month 13 drug treatment and testing orders, including twice-weekly witnessed urine tests, one-to-one sessions, group therapy sessions, confronting the victims of their crime and attending court once a month, have been imposed by courts in the county.

Although only a small number are currently in operation, it is hoped that they will have a significant impact on the amount of crime, much of which is drugs-related, said the acting head of the Gwent Probation Service, Mrs Jane Coates.

The orders are part of the battle against hard drugs which are killing one addict a week. The 10 men and three women are undergoing a strict regime during the life of the order. The orders are supervised by a number of agencies - the probation service, the Gwent Specialist Substance Misuse Service and Drugaid. The expertise of the Gwent Alcohol Project will also be used.

Four of the people who have agreed to the orders are from Newport, three from Abergavenny, two each from Cwmbran and Pontypool and one each from Blackwood and Tredegar. They are all aged between 20 and 30. The orders were imposed for offences of dishonesty.

Mrs Coates said: "Offenders on these orders are people with entrenched habits for hard drugs who are committing offences of dishonesty to fund that habit. There are one-to-one programmes and group work to confront them with the effects of their behaviour on themselves, their families and the victims of their crime.

"The cost to the victims of crime and the public services is phenomenal. The orders are intended to prevent prolific drug-related offending. "They are intensive orders which only a minority of offenders are likely to complete successfully."

Mrs Coates said the orders, which run for six months and three years, were not a soft option.

"They have to attend at a centre for between 15 and 20 hours a week and attend a special court once a month for a progress check. If they breach the order they can be taken back to court and re-sentenced for the original offence."

One offender who is subject to the order says it is not a soft option. Martin (not his real name), a 30-year-old from Torfaen, said: "My heroin habit became a problem and I was stealing to get the £100 a day I needed for it."