The North London Guardian's campaign to restrict the Internet trade in prescription drugs has taken a major step forward with the promise of Government action.

Following weeks of the Guardian highlighting the dangers, Government departments are now working together to tackle the problem, and officials have also clamped down on a UK-based auction site selling the drugs.

Graham and Sue Brackell, who live in the Guardian's East London circulation area, talked to the paper following the death of their son Liam, (24), who took his own life after falling victim to the trade.

He suffered from depression and had turned to foreign-based websites in the months before his death to buy powerful anti-depressants in an increasingly desperate attempt to treat his condition.

At his inquest, the coroner said these substances "obviously had a dire effect on his mental health", which eventually led to him jumping in front of a train.

Backing the Guardian's campaign, the Brackells' MP, Harry Cohen, sent copies of Guardian articles detailing the investigation to the Government and demanded to know why Customs and Excise were not intercepting drugs sent from overseas websites.

Treasury Minister John Healy has now replied with a promise to order his officials to co-operate with the Department of Health in tackling the trade.

In a separate development Health Minister Lord Warner has written to Mrs Brackell announcing the preliminary results of their investigation into the dossier of evidence taken from Liam's computer and handed to the department in August.

Action has been taken on each of the 27 websites identified by investigating officers, one of which is a UK-based internet auction house.

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