Schoolchildren rushed to hospital in 'ecstasy pill' scare

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Ten pupils were rushed to hospital after after they took a white 'pill' which was later identified as a mint

Ten children were rushed to hospital by ambulance after a school drugs scare - only for doctors to find they had overdosed on mints.

Pupils complained of feeling dizzy and unwell after eating the small, white "pills."

It was feared that Ecstasy had been handed out in the playground and paramedics were quickly called into the school.

Two rapid response crews, an ambulance and police were called to the secondary school shortly before 2pm on Thursday.

Pupils were then transferred to Sunderland Royal Hospital by ambulance and in police van, accompanied by paramedics.

But as the kids from Venerable Bede C of E School, Sunderland, were ferried to hospital it was revealed the alert was caused by out-of-date mints.

Ed Yeates, Venerable Bede's headteacher said: "The mints had been brought into school by a pupil and innocently shared out amongst friends but they made some of them feel unwell."

"Staff were alerted, the sweets taken away for further examination, and health and safety procedures brought immediately into effect.

"As a precautionary measure those involved were taken to hospital where they were thoroughly examined and quickly released while their parents were contacted as soon as possible."

One father of a 13-year-old boy at the school said: "My son told me that someone from Year Eight had been handing out sweets saying it was Ecstasy.

"They later started feeling sick and the next thing they knew, police and ambulances starting turning up at the school.

"I am concerned as any parent would be about it. We have always told him not to take anything handed to him by someone else. I hope they take this seriously, it sounds like a joke that got out of hand."

Another mother of a 15-year-old added: "All I heard was the word drugs and that five kids had been taken poorly and taken to hospital to see what the outcome was.

"It is worrying and relief that it was just mints, it appears he got them from his nana.

"I don't know what everyone was being told to create this sort of fuss, though."

A spokeswoman for Northumbria Police said the matter had now been referred to the Health and Safety Executive.

She added: "Ten children were reported to have said they felt unwell and an ambulance was called and they were taken to hospital as a precaution.

"It appears the cause of the problem was out-of-date sweets brought into the school."

A spokesman for Sunderland Royal Hospital said: "A number of children were examined after it was believed they had eaten a white powdery substance.

"We gather this was probably mints and all were quickly discharged without any ill effects."

 

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