Illegal diversion of 10mg diazepam fell 64 per cent in the first five months of 2017, compared to the previous year, latest MHRA analysis shows.

Other changes include a 24 per cent fall in illegal trading in nitrazepam and a 20 per cent fall in temazepam. Zolpidem deals are also down by 14 per cent.

Between 2013 and 2016 an estimated £115-200m of medicines were diverted from the legitimate supply chain onto the criminal market, according to the MHRA.

• Deaths due to illicit use of benzodiazepines have more than doubled between 2015-16 in Scotland, new Government data shows.  The number of deaths involving a benzodiazepine has risen from 191 to 426 in 2016.  The report UK Focal Point on Drugs 2017 also reveals a spate of deaths related to fentanyls (particularly carfentanyl) in the first half of 2017.