Middlesbrough: Warning after drug-laced vapes found in schools

Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke and Sgt Daniel Oldroyd of Cleveland Police with vapes seized from one Middlesbrough school

Parents are being sent warning letters after vapes confiscated at some schools later tested positive for drugs.

It has led to a public health campaign in Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland, with a number of devices seized by police.

Tests on some found THC, a psychoactive compound in cannabis, and Spice, a Class B drug.

Mark Adams, South Tees public health director, said vape usage among young people was "increasingly prevalent".

"Vapes are really important to help people to stop smoking but they are not something that children and young people should be using at all," he said.

It is illegal to sell vapes to under-18s.

Middlesbrough Council said some secondary schools had reported that students were taken ill after using vapes from the start of the September term, although no official figures have been released.

Cleveland Police believe that some reusable pens were being filled with drugs and then sold on social media.

Mr Adams said THC and Spice were "harmful, psychoactive substances" that can cause "serious health problems", with side effects including respiratory issues, seizures and suicidal thoughts.

"It's a significant and serious issue that parents need to be aware of and need to do whatever they can to understand what it is what their child is doing," he said.