We tested Glasgow's public toilets for cocaine and this is what we found

Glasgow has recently been dubbed "the cocaine capital of the world" and this week the Glasgow Times is taking an in-depth look at the issue.

Using chemical swabs that turn from pink to blue on contact with the drug, we tested hotspots from shopping malls to law courts.

We found traces of cocaine in one-third of the places we checked.

Over the course of a week, we used dozens of cocaine swabs in public spaces across the city to see just how prevalent the drug is.

And we found that if you move around Glasgow city centre you are likely to have unknowingly come into contact with cocaine.

There is no suggestion that any of the operators of premises where traces were found were allowing drug use by visitors.

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In some spots the quantity of cocaine found was so great it stained our reporters’ hands blue.

Scotland's drug deaths epidemic has seen cocaine implicated in a growing number of fatalities.

In Glasgow, that number has risen steadily over the past 10 years with the latest figures showing 69 people died where cocaine was implicated.

This accounted for 22% of 311 deaths - up from 19% of 157 deaths in 2010.

In 2015 the figure was 8% of 94 deaths.

Experts in the city say the ease of access to the drug and falling costs have helped contribute to an explosion in use.

From being a "glamour" drug thought of as the substance of choice for footballers and actors, cocaine is now used across social classes.

We headed out with cocaine detection wipes in Glasgow city centre to see what we would find.

The Four Corners - the junction of Argyle Street and Union Street - was an obvious target due to its high crime reputation.

But on two weekdays and a weekend night we found no traces of cocaine on touchscreens or in the toilets of McDonald's, Tim Hortons, KFC or Pizza Hut.

Moving along to nearby Glasgow Central Station, however, the toilets of the transit hub gave the strongest result we uncovered.

The station has the largest free-to-use toilets in the city centre, with Network Rail, which runs Central, saying staff and British Transport Police (BTP) officers carry out regular checks of the facilities.

We checked multiple ticket machines and a cash machine but our wipes stayed pink - showing no sign of cocaine.

The toilets, however, were another story.

On multiple surfaces in the ladies loos, our wipes immediately turned bright blue with an unarguable positive for cocaine.

A Network Rail spokesperson said drug misuse is taken "very seriously" in the station.

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He added: "Anyone found to be in possession of drugs will be reported to the BTP.

"We work hard alongside the BTP and other partners to reduce anti-social behaviour within our stations and drug-related incidents have been falling at Glasgow Central in recent years.

"All facilities within the station are regularly inspected and cleaned to help provide a safe environment for staff and passengers."

Transport cops have recorded five drug offences at Glasgow Central in the year to date - down from six the year before.

Arrests were made for non-drug-related offences but substances were found in subsequent searches of those arrested.

We then moved to Glasgow City Chambers, the civic heart of the city where politicians meet to take decisions on vital issues.

But the historic building is open to the public - and we found light traces of cocaine in the most easily accessible toilets in the building.

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council declined to comment on the situation.

Along on Argyle Street, we also found an extremely strong positive result in the toilets of Marks and Spencer.

On a busy weekday when the store was full of shoppers, we checked the main toilets and disabled toilets in the basement of the store.

While swabs in the main toilets stayed pink, the disabled lavatory tested positive for cocaine on top of the paper towel and loo roll dispensers.

An M&S spokesperson said: "Our toilets are cleaned and inspected regularly throughout the day. 

"We have no evidence of repeated drug use taking place in them and would always act when alerted to any concerns."

Perhaps most brazen was the positive result for cocaine in Glasgow Sheriff Court.

We swabbed toilets throughout Glasgow High Court and found no trace of the drug.

We also checked every women's toilet in the Sheriff's Court and found cocaine on two separate occasions on sinks in the ground floor lavatories.

These toilets sit just feet from security guards carrying out searches on everyone entering the building and next to a group of police officers.

A spokesperson for Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service said: "SCTS staff work closely with partners, including the police, to take all reasonable precautions on security measures within our court buildings.

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"If anyone witnesses drug use in our buildings they are urged not to confront those persons but to immediately report it to the police or security personnel."

The Glasgow Times also swabbed various areas in Buchanan Galleries - including escalator handrails and toilets but no cocaine traces were found.

A cash machine just outside the shopping centre did test positive for cocaine traces.

Police Scotland said the force "remains committed" to reducing the "tragic impact" of drugs on the city's communities.

A spokesperson said: "We remain committed to keeping our communities safe and through partnership working, and with the support of local communities, we aim to make Scotland a safer place.

"Anyone with any information on drug dealing in their community is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously."