Project 6 is renowed for the fantastic work it does in the town.

The drug and alcohol advice agency has deservedly won top-level praise for its efforts. Revelations this week regarding the extent to which its workload has increased are quite startling.

Keighley’s drugs problems are nothing new – only last week we highlighted a huge leap in the number of people arrested locally on suspicion of dealing in Class A substances. But what is perhaps more worrying is the increase in people needing help for alcohol problems.

Poverty has been cited as a reason for the upsurge in the charity’s caseload, as people hitting hard times look for solace in the bottle or elsewhere.

The availability of cheap booze, making it accessible to just about anyone irrespective of income, does not help.

Tackling that issue is a major challenge which is not likely to see results quickly. But what we can do is give our full backing to Project 6 chief executive Mike Cadger and his dedicated team as they continue in their hugely commendable efforts to support those affected.