I was a high-flying engineer two years ago but now I live in a tent after my life was ravaged by monkey dust

A MAN who was once a high-flying engineer now lives in a tent after his life was ravaged by the terrifying drug dubbed monkey dust.

Simon, 42, was living a comfortable life as a qualified heating and plumbing engineer in a "nice" two-bed house just two years ago.

Now, he is sleeping rough in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, after losing everything due to his addiction.

He said: "I got into dust, monkey dust, lost everything, and now I’m on the floor.

"I’m still taking dust. It’s all we do all day, rush around, try to get fed and try to get hold of dust, because it’s so addictive.

"People push it, they want to get you hooked, and then they exploit you."

He added that dust is "next level" to crack and heroin and that it takes you to "the next dimension", with a day's supply costing as little as £20.

Monkey dust - which can be picked up for as little as £2 per hit - is a synthetic version of stimulant drugs that are derived from the plant khat.

These drugs were originally sold as legal alternatives to controlled substances like ecstasy but were later classified as a Class B drug, the same classification as cannabis.

It is usually snorted in powder form but can also be taken as a pill and even injected.

Effects include hallucinations, twitching and convulsions, decreased sensitivity to pain, psychosis and superhuman strength.

In 2018, one user jumped off a building onto a car before fighting police officers, who described the altercation as like trying to wrestle The Incredible Hulk.

Usage is noticeably high in Stoke, where residents say the town is being overrun by hallucinating addicts who attack people and even eat glass.

Simon was quick to point out that not all addicts are violent, but did admit that there was an issue with violent crime associated with monkey dust.

He said: "My theory is, if you’ve got a bad personality, if you’re unstable and nasty, the dust will have a very nasty effect on you, it’ll control you, you’ll set fire to someone or attack someone."

Some have called on the Government to upgrade the drug to Class A, putting it on par with better-known "hard" narcotics like cocaine and heroin.

Simon backed the campaign, saying: "It’s Class A all the way for me, duck.

"I think it should be Class A+++."

However, despite all he has lost, he still holds out hope that he can kick the habit.

This time next year, he aims to have given up "dust" and become a professional singer, which he says gives him "confidence, power and self-esteem".