Nitrous oxide: Cardiff probe striker's laughing gas video

Connor Wickham joined Cardiff City until the end of the season in February 2023

Cardiff City are investigating a video which appears to show Connor Wickham inhaling laughing gas from a balloon.

In the video uploaded to his Instagram, Wickham is seen holding a balloon to his mouth while inhaling and exhaling.

The video posted online in the wake of the Cardiff's loss to Swansea has drawn criticism from fans.

Wickham has now deleted the video and said he "understood his responsibility as a professional".

The video also shows individuals with Wickham singing and dancing in a car hours after Cardiff City's 3-2 loss to their rivals, Swansea on Saturday.

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In a statement responding to the incident, Wickham said: "I'm obviously aware of a video circulating on social media. I know my responsibility as a professional.

"Playing for Cardiff City is a huge privilege, I've been so welcomed by you all and I will always give 100%.

"To lose the game the way we did yesterday hurt more than ever, even though you will feel it doesn't seem that way to me.

"I hope you can all understand and I will do my best [to] help my team and this club to achieve the best possible outcome this season."

It comes as nitrous oxide is set to be banned by the government in a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

More commonly known as laughing gas, nos or 'hippy crack', the substance is held in a small metal canister, inhaled using balloons, and is described as causing a feeling of relaxation and dissociation from reality.

It is already illegal to produce or supply the gas for its psychoactive effects.

According to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, the number of deaths and demand for treatment for problematic use of nitrous oxide remains low compared with other drugs.

However, there have been reports of an increase in neurological harms, including nerve and spinal cord damage, related to heavy and persistent use. One woman in Wales said that taking too much laughing gas left her unable to walk.

The BBC understands that Cardiff City is looking into the incident.