A CAMPAIGN to tackle so-called legal highs has reached an important final landmark. 

The Evening Mail launched a campaign in 2013 calling for a ban on the substances and received the backing of Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock and Cumbria police. 

It followed fears a child would die from taking the substances, which were understood to be freely available in Barrow. 

Last night, Mr Woodcock welcomed the final passage of new laws to tackle legal highs, despite seeing his proposal to add even tougher new powers to the law thwarted in a House of Commons vote. 

The Psychoactive Substances Bill will impose a blanket ban when it comes into force later this year. 

While supportive of the bill in general, Mr Woodcock had proposed a new clause to be added, which would have given police extra powers to order businesses suspected of breaking the law to cease trading while waiting for the case to be heard in court. 

The proposal won the backing of the Local Government Association and was supported by the Labour Party, but the final vote was 306 to 227 against the new powers. 

Mr Woodcock said: “These drugs can ruin lives and have been a blight on our communities for too long. 

"After years of campaigning for this, I am delighted we will finally see them banned. 

"I fully support this new law and I want to pay tribute to everyone who has spoken out against legal highs including the brilliant campaign run by the North West Evening Mail."

However, Mr Woodcock said attention needed to be paid to see how the bill worked in practice to assess whether the law needed tightening up in the future.

Pressing his case in parliament for the tougher measures to be added to the bill, Mr Woodcock told MPs: "I still think there are potentially significant gaps between the police or the local authority seeing that the substance is being traded and being able to apply for a court order and get it granted. 

"This amendment would simply allow an interim ban to be implemented while the court order is heard and then, if it turned out to be misplaced, there could be compensation of some kind. 

"But it will give communities the extra protection that they need and deserve."