An 18-year-old woman has died from a suspected drug overdose in Leeds, marking the second such death in the city over the bank holiday weekend. West Yorkshire police said the teenager collapsed at the Warehouse club in the city centre in the early hours of Monday. She was taken to Leeds General Infirmary, where officers were notified at 3.18am, and died shortly after.
A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs and remains in police custody. Detective Inspector Amanda Wimbles of Leeds CID urged the public to think twice before taking illegal substances, describing them as “incredibly dangerous”.
The death comes just 48 hours after a 17-year-old girl from Oldham died from a suspected drug overdose at Leeds Festival at Bramham Park. Police said she had taken “a combination of drugs” and died shortly after 3.40am on Saturday. A 17-year-old boy from the Oldham area was arrested on suspicion of supplying controlled drugs and later released under investigation.
Police had previously issued warnings about “very dangerous, high strength” pills named Donkey Kong, Trump and Skype circulating at the festival, which contained up to three times the normal average adult dose of ecstasy. Organisers of the Creamfields festival also warned about extremely potent MDMA tablets being taken on-site.
Experts have called for increased drug testing at festivals, noting that many pills contain harmful ingredients, such as n-ethylpentylone, a long-lasting cathinone linked to anxiety, paranoia, insomnia and psychosis.
