YORK men seeking a sexual thrill could be risking serious illness or even death by using unprescribed pills, detectives warned today.

Officers have issued a warning after hundreds of Kamagra tablets were discovered during a drugs raid at a house in the Walmgate area of the city.

Police say the blue diamond-shaped pills are identical to the sexual wonder drug Viagra and sell for up to £20 on the street.

But police fear unprescribed use from unlicensed sources could put users in danger.

Det Con Peter Bentall, of York CID, said it was the first time Kamagra had been discovered in York or North Yorkshire.

The drug seizure has been discussed at a meeting of the Walmgate and Navigation Road crime action group, which represents residents and businesses in the area.

Det Con Bentall said users with heart problems or low blood pressure who have not been given the go-ahead by a GP are particularly at risk.

The warning comes after national newspaper reports that young clubbers are popping the sex drug to give them a late-night sexual boost.

Last week, scheming Tanya Turner killed off her ailing on-screen husband Frank Laslett with a combination of booze, Viagra and marathon sex sessions in the hit TV show Footballers' Wives.

Mr Bentall said detectives were liaising with an HM Customs and Excise investigation into an illegal multimillion pound trade in Viagra and alternatives in the South-East.

Of Kamagra, he said: "It's not a controlled drug like heroin, but people who supply it could face prosecution under the Medicines Act and may commit offences under trademark legislation.

"The dangers are the same as for Viagra as it may contain the same active ingredient, Sildenafil, and it should only be prescribed by people who are qualified to do so."

Viagra is only available from doctors on prescription in the UK but is widely available in the US.

It can be bought over the internet for about £36 for four tablets, but a consultation must first take place with a doctor.

Kamagra is believed to be manufactured in India, where it can be bought extremely cheaply.

A spokesman for the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said £2.3 million-worth of Viagra and alternative products being sold or held illegally were seized in 2003.

Facts behind the wonder pill

VIAGRA works by increasing the blood supply to the sex organs. It is not an aphrodisiac and it is not licensed for use by women.

In the UK the drug is only available by prescription from a doctor, but manufacturer Pfizer hopes to get it licensed for sale by the autumn. Some patient groups can get it on the NHS.

Reported side-effects include stomach aches, headaches, blurred vision and an increased sensitivity to light.

Patients with heart or liver problems, low blood pressure, or who have suffered a recent stroke or heart attack, should avoid the drug.

Updated: 10:39 Monday, March 22, 2004