POLICE have issued a drugs warning after two men collapsed in Ashley Cross, Poole, on Saturday night.

The men are believed to have taken an illegal controlled drug called Thai Valium shortly before they fell unconscious in the street at around 6pm.

Eye-witness Hayley King, who saw the incident unfold as she left work, said she saw one of the victims flat on his back on the ground with his arms spread out.

“They just collapsed,” she said.

“One of them was trying to pull the other one back on to his feet when he collapsed too, right on the ground.”

She said it was a shock because Ashley Cross is a nice area.

“It’s a lovely place, and you just don’t want that kind of thing happening around here,” she said.

Both of the men were taken to Poole General Hospital after the incident, with one, a 41-year-old, remaining sedated and in a stable condition.

The second, a 28-year-old, regained consciousness, but was kept in overnight to be monitored.

Tony Woodcock, ward councillor for Parkstone, said he was shocked to hear about the incident.

“I am horrified to hear about that,” he said.

“The problems always seem to be outside on the pavement – it doesn’t tend to happen inside the night-time venues.

“Of course, as one of three ward councillors, we are delighted there is a really strong night-time economy in Ashley Cross, but we have been conscious for a long time that we have got to be careful about how many nightclubs and bars we allow to be there. Ultimately, it is a residential area too.”

Detective Inspector Stewart Dipple of Dorset Police said: “We cannot confirm at this stage if it is the controlled drug that has made the two men unwell, or if it was the quantity of tablets that were taken that caused them to fall ill. Our primary concern is to prevent other people potentially falling ill from taking the same drugs.”