Boy, 12, took ecstasy before fatal game of dare on road

Luke O'Hara also had traces of cannabis in his system when he stepped into the path of a car and suffered fatal head injuries.

After his death in April, his mother Janet Husselbe created an internet video tribute to her son praising his manners and his 'heart of gold'.

She also appealed for improved road safety.

But yesterday, as the shocking truth behind Luke's death emerged, concerns about pedestrian safety were eclipsed by worries about children running wild experimenting in dangerous drugs.

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"Where the hell does a 12-year-old schoolboy get ecstasy from?" asked his father Tony.

Mr O'Hara, 45, who is divorced from Luke's mother, said he believed a gang of older boys had introduced his son to drugs.

He added: "I am old-fashioned and I am totally against drugs and I told both my boys to steer well clear of them.

"I believe that once you are introduced to soft drugs it is only a matter of time before you step up on to the bigger ones.

"Who is selling them to kids because they are the ones who deserve to lose their lives - not my Luke."

In her video tribute, Mrs Husselbe, 51, of Handsworth, Sheffield, described Luke as 'a proper little boy'.

She added: "I always brought my children up to use their manners and they did."

But a neighbour disagreed, saying: "He was completely out of control and ran wild in the area.

"He hardly ever went to school and he was always causing trouble."

Luke, who has been playing with friends near Sheffield's Parkway dual carriageway, had taken ecstasy a few hours before his death, the inquest in the city heard.

Dr Stephen Morley, a consultant clinical chemist, said the drug would have made Luke lose his inhibitions, as well as causing dizziness and confusion and impairing his ability to judge speed.

Describing the behaviour of Luke and his friends in the moments before the accident, Dr Morley said: "Essentially they were playing chicken on the road."

Lawrence Merchant, who was driving a cement mixer, said: "One lad was beckoning the traffic in a joking manner."

Martin Parry was driving his VW Bora when it struck Luke.

He told the inquest he became aware of boys on the carriageway when he glanced to his left, then heard a thud and the windscreen shattered.

He said he had no time to react.

PC Chris Lindley, of South Yorkshire Police's accident investigation unit, said: "He could not possibly have stopped the vehicle prior to hitting Luke."

Coroner Donald Coutts-Wood recorded a verdict of accidental death.