Two leading charities supporting people with addiction problems have announced they have merged to provide a wider range of treatments.

The Westminster Drug Project (WDP) and Seventy4 foundation will combine their expertise and pool their resources in order to offer more choice to people in Redbridge and Waltham Forest suffering addiction.

The two charities had been working alongside each other for several years, but it was felt where there were gaps in one charity’s provision, it could be filled by the other.

WDP currently runs Redbridge Drug and Alcohol Service, in Chapel Road, Ilford, and the Drugs Intervention Programme in South Grove, Walthamstow.

The Seventy4 Foundation provides daytime and evening counselling services for people with alcohol, drugs and gambling problems, or those with eating disorders, and runs an outreach programme.

WDP offers residential and non-residential rehabilitation, while working with offenders in prison and in the community.

WDP Chairwoman Yasmin Batliwala said: “The collaboration of WDP and The Seventy4 Foundation will enhance the services provided to local communities and each area will continue to offer the same support to users.

“Having Seventy4 joining the WDP family will simply increase the options that we can offer to people with drug and alcohol problems in Redbridge and other parts of London.”

A WDP spokesman added: "At the moment neither charity will be radically changing the way they operate, but simply pooling resources and services.

"WDP has a very successful offender rehabilitation centre which Seventy4 do not currently provide, so in cases like this, WDP will be able to provide this service to centres that are run under Seventy4."