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Police chiefs have been alarmed by its rapid growth in the United States - where 12 million people are thought to have tried it - Australia and New Zealand, and fear that Britain will be next.

The growth in British laboratories making the drug puts people at risk of death or injury from explosions and toxic fumes, a police conference will hear today.

While the number of seizures of the drug are currently low, police are starting to uncover a growing number of makeshift laboratories manufacturing it. Last month a crystal meth factory was discovered on an industrial unit in a Derbyshire village, Stoney Middleton. Laboratories have also been found in London and the Isle of Wight.

The threat posed by crystal meth, a synthetic drug that can be smoked, swallowed, snorted or injected, will be highlighted at the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) drugs conference in Manchester today.

Commander Simon Bray, an Acpo spokesman, said: "It could become as popular as crack unless we recognise the potential danger is poses and take action to prevent its spread. There is increasing intelligence about methamphetamine which shows its presence in this country is growing. You can find it in Hampshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, London - in almost every county. If people want to get hold of the drug they can find it."

He added: "We have not had many incidents yet, but if you look at the experience in the United States, New Zealand and Australia it started out with one or two laboratories which rapidly turned to hundreds. It is a bit like crack cocaine which suddenly appeared to take off - we want to make sure it does not get to that stage."

The number of illegal laboratories producing it grew in the US from 3,800 in 1998 to 8,500 in 2001, peaking at 10,200 in 2003. An estimated 12.3 million Americans had tried the drug by 2003. It is now more popular than cocaine or heroin in parts of America, and is considered by some to be more dangerous.

The American singer Rufus Wainwight is among several celebrities who have admitted overcoming an addiction to crystal meth, which increases sexual arousal.

Earlier this year the United Nations drug control agency warned that crystal meth was becoming a global problem and called for tougher restrictions on chemicals used to make it.

Police intelligence has shown that although still relatively rare in the UK, the drug is becoming increasingly popular among clubbers, and is being used by heroin addicts and rough sleepers.

Police are also concerned that the manufacture of the drug - the chemicals and instructions on how to use them are readily available on the internet - will lead to deaths and injuries from explosions and poisonous fumes produced during the cooking process. Mr Bray said: "The chemicals used to make the drug include iodine and drain cleaner - the substances are akin to nerve agents. They can result in explosions and toxic waste.

"In America quite a lot of children have been affected by the chemicals, and anyone responding to an incident [such as a fire] can be in danger. It can take months to decontaminate a site."

A gram of meth costs about £50, enough for several "hits". Its effects include psychosis and paranoia, and it has a particularly addictive nature that can be compared to crack cocaine and heroin.

The police believe that as well as being manufactured in Britain it is also being imported into the UK by a Filipino criminal network.

The police and Home Office are so concerned about the potential growth in the drug that in January they are due to upgrade the drug from a Class B to a Class A substance. This would mean those caught dealing it could receive a life sentence while those in possession could face up to seven years.

Key facts
by Geneviève Roberts

* Crystal meth (methamphetamine) is a class A drug, reclassified from class B in June this year.

* When smoked, snorted or injected it gives a "rush" similar to that produced by crack cocaine and is highly addictive.

* 10 per cent of gay men in London have used crystal meth. In London, half a gram costs £25.

* It causes cardiovascular problems and increased blood pressure. An overdose can cause overheating and convulsions.

How 'crank' laid waste to small-town America (Great Britain, The
Independent)
By Andrew Buncombe
Published: 21 November 2006 http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article2001538.ece

It had been several months since Shaden had last taken methamphetamine and yet her body still twitched or "tweaked" as she recounted her fight to kick the habit.

"The worst thing is that you are so blind in your reality. You know in the back of your head not to take it," said the mother, her eyes dark and sullen, as she sat in a women's treatment centre. "In the end, I had no self worth, no self-esteem. I knew nothing was going to get better. I had to get away from my family. I was praying and crying."

Methamphetamine has become the scourge of small-town America, a drug whose ease of manufacture and affordability has allowed it to penetrate deep into the US heartland. The drug first drew the attention of experts and law enforcement in the West but steadily its reach has moved eastwards, often trafficked by Hispanic gangs and produced in labs south of the border.

In rural areas - such as Missoula, Montana, where Shaden talked to The Independent earlier this year, it is eating up the lion's share of resources of the local authorities. The problem has become so great that the Department of Justice has designated 30 November as National Methamphetamine Awareness Day.

Michael Walther, director of the National Drug Intelligence Centre, said earlier this year: "Over the past 10 years, methamphetamine trafficking and abuse has devastated individuals, families, and communities in western and Midwestern states and has now spread eastward to nearly every area of the country. Addressing the challenges presented by this highly addictive drug, including laboratory clean-up,and addict treatment has greatly depleted state and local resources."

It had been several months since Shaden had last taken methamphetamine and yet her body still twitched or "tweaked" as she recounted her fight to kick the habit.

"The worst thing is that you are so blind in your reality. You know in the back of your head not to take it," said the mother, her eyes dark and sullen, as she sat in a women's treatment centre. "In the end, I had no self worth, no self-esteem. I knew nothing was going to get better. I had to get away from my family. I was praying and crying."

Methamphetamine has become the scourge of small-town America, a drug whose ease of manufacture and affordability has allowed it to penetrate deep into the US heartland. The drug first drew the attention of experts and law enforcement in the West but steadily its reach has moved eastwards, often trafficked by Hispanic gangs and produced in labs south of the border.

In rural areas - such as Missoula, Montana, where Shaden talked to The Independent earlier this year, it is eating up the lion's share of resources of the local authorities. The problem has become so great that the Department of Justice has designated 30 November as National Methamphetamine Awareness Day.

Michael Walther, director of the National Drug Intelligence Centre, said earlier this year: "Over the past 10 years, methamphetamine trafficking and abuse has devastated individuals, families, and communities in western and Midwestern states and has now spread eastward to nearly every area of the country. Addressing the challenges presented by this highly addictive drug, including laboratory clean-up,and addict treatment has greatly depleted state and local resources."