Hospitals on alert as drinkers steal high-alcohol hand gels used in battle against superbugs

A string of deaths have been caused by the colourless gel, which contains 70 per cent alcohol.

Hospitals are being forced to remove the gel from public areas and instead have it only on wards under the watchful eyes of nurses.

At least two people have died this year after drinking the gel and Lewisham hospital in South East London confirmed 10 cases where people had stolen the gel from its building.

Alert: The alcohol-based gel has been removed from all public corridors at Lewisham Hospital

The thefts happened between March 2007 and June this year.

It is thought the gel is mixed with other alcoholic drink to make a deadly homebrew.

Last Tuesday Southwark Coroner Court heard how two homeless men died in agony after drinking the deadly disinfectant.

Thomas Sajdak, 29, was found dead in Streatham, South London, in February, while his friend Oleh Wowczyshyn, 29, collapsed and died four days later after complaining of severe stomach pains.

Detective Constable Nainesh Desai confirmed at their inquest that the deaths were caused by drinking "hospital fluids".

Petra Salva, spokesman for homeless charity Thamesreach, said: "It's a horrible way to die.

"We've started to get reports of this from speaking to people sleeping rough and police who have met people with bottles (of the gel).  

"A lot of it has been anecdotal so far but it's something that's come onto our radar and we have been looking into it ourselves over the past three months." 

The colourless gel, called Spirigel, has been introduced into hospitals as an effective way of trying to prevent superbugs, including MRSA, being passed from visitors to patients.

A NHS source said: "This handwash is a vital tool in combating the spread of bugs, and we encourage everyone on wards to use it regularly.

"Having to remove it from public areas because of abuse is obviously causing hygiene problems."