More than 40 firms attended a drugs seminar for businesses organised by a boss who lost one of his employees to heroin addiction, writes Roseena Parveen.

The free seminar for companies across the Thames Valley was held in Culham, near Abingdon.

The firms sent representatives to learn about drugs in the workplace and how to deal with them.

The seminar was organised by OIC, a scaffolding company based at Culham Science Centre, as part of a campaign to encourage Thames Valley businesses to put in place an alcohol and drugs policy.

Chairman James Hill set it up after one of his employees became a heroin addict. The man grew disruptive at work and eventually had to leave his job. But Mr Hill was distraught to find that he could do nothing to help him. Mark Goff, campaign director for OIC, said: "James was mortified by his experience. This lad had stayed with him at his family home, played with his children, helped with work on the house. James felt angry with himself for not recognising the signs.

"Now he wants businesses to educate themselves and recognise the value of their staff."

The campaign promotes drug-testing in the workplace with a view to helping staff understand the consequences and offering help.

Mr Goff said: "It's about driving drugs, not people, out of the workplace.

"Workers are against testing because some employers use it to sack people. But by putting an education policy in place, they can get the best out of their staff by helping them." Former heroin and crack cocaine addict Paul McCabe, of Oxford, spoke at the seminar about the realities of addiction.

He now runs the Oxford-based charity Energy and Vision, promoting drugs education.