IF, as is expected, today’s Queen’s Speech to open the new Parliament includes a pledge by the Government to outlaw so-called legal highs then this paper will be amongst the first to welcome the announcement.

In some small yet significant way we can also lay claim to have played our part in bringing about this change in the law and, it must be said, change of heart by those who decide such matters.

Our campaign called for an end to the selling of legal highs.

Not long ago it was considered too difficult to ban these deadly substances, even though they claim the lives of too many young people each year.

Because the ingredients that make up such chemicals can be changed and varied, we were told the definition of what should be outlawed was too difficult to pin down.

Now it appears law makers have decided a way can and will be found to put a stop to the selling of such substances.

This will not end the problem, of course.

The illegality of many drugs does not prevent them from being sold. But those dealing in death in this way will know that they run the risk of the harshest of penalties should they flout the law.

The battle goes on, but we are a step closer to killing off this evil trade.