Ecstasy suspected in boy's death

Ecstasy theory is being examined by police

The drug ecstasy is suspected to have caused the death of a teenager in County Londonderry.

Jason Brolly, 15, from the Drumavalley estate in Bellarena, died in hospital on Monday night. He took ill in the early hours of Saturday.

Police Inspector Ivan Goldsworthy, who is leading the investigation, said the symptoms of the teenager's death were consistent with someone who had taken drugs.

"Determining the cause of death would indicate that there has been multiple organ failure and this would be a symptom of someone who has had ecstasy," he said.

"It is very early to say yet and I wouldn't be making any other comment until after the post mortem."

Surveys indicate that about 10% of young UK adults aged 15 to 29 have tried ecstasy.

That figure jumps to about 90% for young people regularly attending outdoor raves or nightclubs.

Between 1993 and 1997 there were 72 deaths in the UK attributed to ecstasy.

During the same period there were 158 deaths caused by amphetamine or "speed", another popular dance drug.