New hair-testing lab set for Manchester

A new laboratory testing hair samples for signs of drug and alcohol abuse is being launched in the UK.

The Manchester-based facility will be part of the Trimega brand and will offer tests ascertaining whether individuals have consumed recreational drugs within the last year.

According to the organisation, this could prove useful in child care incidents to reveal whether parent dependency on such substances is an issue, with Britain seeing a 46 per cent rise in hair testing applications in the wake of the Baby P case.

Leader of Manchester City Council Sir Richard Leese welcomed the move, adding that it is "great news" for the region.

"This cutting-edge lab reinforces Manchester's reputation as a city at the forefront of the scientific and research industries," he remarked.

The mother of Baby P, Tracey Connelly is currently serving an indefinite prison sentence after allowing the death of her son, who suffered over 50 injuries while in her custody in Haringey, north London.