The Scottish Tory leader has U-turned on his opposition to drug consumption rooms championed by Nicola Sturgeon.

       On Friday, Douglas Ross urged the Home Office not to stand in the way of the controversial “shooting galleries” being set up, in an extraordinary reversal of party policy that risked enraging rank-and-file members.

       He said that Scottish Conservative MSPs would not block SNP plans to introduce the facilities, where users can take illegal substances like heroin in supervised conditions.

       It comes ahead of a joint trip with the First Minister on Monday to a drugs recovery facility in Glasgow – the first time the pair have ever undertaken an official visit together.

       He said that “drastic action” was required to tackle Scotland's drugs death crisis and his MSPs would approach “with an open mind” any proposal tabled at Holyrood.

       The Home Office on Friday night rejected his plea for the UK Government to drop its opposition to consumption rooms, saying that “anyone running them would be committing a range of offences” including the possession and supply of drugs.

       But Scotland's Crown Office could instead provide “letters of comfort” to staff and users in such a facility, effectively providing immunity from prosecution. Earlier this month, Dorothy Bain, the new Lord Advocate, said she could consider “precise” plans for this.

       Scotland currently has the worst drugs death rate in Europe and a rate around three and a half times worse than England and Wales. Ms Sturgeon admitted during this year's Holyrood election campaign that her government had taken “our eye off the ball”.

       The Scottish Tory leader's intervention marked a radical about-turn after he previously argued it was wrong to facilitate people taking illegal drugs and that consumption rooms were a distraction from the real issue of improving treatment services.

       Sources close to Mr Ross admitted the Scottish Tory rank-and-file would likely be deeply unhappy about the shift.

       But they said: “The point in this move is that the SNP no longer have any excuses for not saving lives. They can’t blame anyone else for Scotland's drug deaths crisis but themselves.”

       Mr Ross said: “Scotland’s drug death crisis has claimed too many lives. It demands drastic action. We have reviewed the evidence from experts like FAVOR UK and, if the Scottish Parliament scrutinises a proposal for an overdose prevention facility pilot, we will approach it with an open mind.”

       ‘Serious reservations’

       “At the outset, we will not oppose the introduction of an overdose prevention centre in Scotland, and neither should the UK Government.

       “But we continue to have serious reservations and practical concerns about drug consumption rooms. We agree with the chief constable of Police Scotland who said earlier this week that more evidence is needed.”

       He said the rooms were not a “silver bullet", with the primary problem that "Scotland’s drug addiction and treatment system is broken."

       A Home Office spokesman said: “We have no plans to introduce drug consumption rooms and anyone running them would be committing a range of offences including possession of a controlled drug and being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug.

       “Our approach on drugs remains clear – we must prevent drug use in our communities, support people through treatment and recovery, and tackle the supply of illegal drugs.”