THE boss of a recovery programme has urged government officials to visit his centre, because “we must be doing something right”.

The invitation comes in the wake of the new statistics showing a 25 per cent increase in the number of drug deaths in West Dunbartonshire in just one year.

However, the rate has been growing much more slowly in the area than in the rest of Scotland.

Donnie McGillvery, the general manager of Alternatives West Dunbartonshire, said this is evidence his service, along with the efforts of councils and other partners, is doing something right.

READ MORE: Addicts at Alternatives warn governments: 'More people are going to die'

He told the Post: “In the 32 local authorities in Scotland, we used to be up there in the top four and five.

“If you look at the chart now, we’re not anywhere near where we were anymore.

“We’re definitely doing something that others need to look at.”

Mr McGillvery pointed to the Scottish Affairs committee in Westminster, which has been locked in discussion about Scotland’s drug crisis in recent months.

READ MORE: James Kelly: 'If I hadn't come here, I really think I would be dead by now.'

The Scottish Governments minister for public health, Joe Fitzpatrick, made an impassioned plea for the two bodies to work together to stem the tide of drug deaths when he spoke in front of the panel earlier this month.

Mr McGillvery said: “If we could get them up here to just have a look at what we do, or some of the other elected members, I think they would see the benefits.

“I’ve never blown my trumpet in the 30 years I’ve been working in addiction, but I’ve got something here we’ve stumbled onto and we’ve worked on and it seems to be working.

“This can be replicated, and it doesn’t just need to be by us. It can be delivered by any drug agency, providing the right structure is put in place, along with the right people and the right ethos.”