VIDEO: 'Drug' deaths police press conference
DETECTIVE Chief Inspector Mark Oliver led a press conference this afternoon where he linked the deaths of two teenage boys with a legal drug known locally as M-CAT.
DCI Oliver said it appeared Louis Wainwright, 18, and Nick Smith, 19, died after taking a cocktail of drink and drugs on a night out in Scunthorpe town centre.
The double tragedy has prompted a police warning over the use of M-CAT, which is derived from plant fertiliser and is also known as as Mephedrone, Bubble, Meow and MC.
View our video from today's police press conference here. The story continues below.
DCI Oliver said: "From our investigations wwe have information to suggest these deaths are linked to M-CAT.
"We encourage anyone who may have taken the drug or knows somebody who has taken it to go to hospital as a matter of urgency."
Two men have been arrested in connection with the incident, one of these men is currently in hospital where he is under observation as it is thought he may also have taken the substance.
Another woman is also in hospital undergoing medical examination.
3 Comments
by Jan, scunthorpe
Thursday, March 18 2010, 2:11PM
“I agree the police have known that there has been a drug problem for years in the area and have chosen to ignore it. It has come to this before they become concerned and now they are totalling showing how unprofessional they are. It was reported yesrteray on ~TV that nobody has ever died before by just taking mephodrone alone”
by mick, scunthorpe
Tuesday, March 16 2010, 8:16PM
“However much of a tragedy this is, the police handling off this matter is no short of scandalous and misleading.
These 2 young boys have tragically died from taking a mixture mcat, alcohol and methedone its is claimed. However the police are only making a big deal out of the fact they've taken mcat.
It suits them to say that because of the current epedemic of people taking it. But in my opinion, they shouldn't be using these 2 deaths so quickly and without evidence to scaremonger. Highly unprofessional.”
by Fubar, nottingham
Tuesday, March 16 2010, 6:44PM
“Did i just see on the news that these two unfortunate lads also took methadone as well as mephodrone? If so why is mephodrone the drug being blamed for the deaths? Forgive me if i'm mistaken but doesn't methadone actually kill more people than heroin does?”