Youngsters from Morecambe were taken to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary after being sold potentially lethal drugs at the weekend. Six boys and girls aged between 12 and 19 were later released from the hospital after imbibing the anti-depressant drug dothiepin hydrochloride which they bought on the black market.

One teenage boy had a lucky escape after taking six of the pills. A mother raised the alarm after her daughters, 12 and 14, came home from a night out feeling listless. Police then traced 11 youngsters who had access to the tablets.

"These tablets looked like sweets," said a police spokesman. "But they were potentially fatal. Our advice to any young people who are offered anything similar is to refuse them and report anything suspicious to local police.

"Fortunately, the youngsters have all made a good recovery and have learnt first hand the dangers."

A 19-year-old local man was charged with selling obnoxious substances. He appeared in Lancaster magistrates on Monday.

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