Is Bristol really the cocaine capital of Europe?

  • By ITV News West Country reporter Max Walsh

A former bouncer has told ITV News that cocaine use in clubs in Bristol is more common and widely accepted than ever before.

Matt Stait has worked in the industry for more than twenty years - but admits certain venues cannot clamp down on drugs completely because customers would go elsewhere.

Matt Stait is a former bouncer. Credit: ITV News West Country

It comes after research from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) found Bristol, compared with more than 70 cities, had the highest concentration of cocaine in it's sewers.

The city was subsequently named the 'cocaine capital of Europe'.

ITV News West Country reporter Max Walsh spent the night with the Bristol street pastors to see if this apparent rise in cocaine use in the city was having an effect on nightlife.

The Bristol street pastors. Credit: ITV News West Country

Watch Max's report below: