'A child is going to die because of a vape'

Headteachers' fears over rising problem

- HELENA VESTY

"A CHILD somewhere in this country is going to die because of a vape. It's only a matter of time."

It's a stark warning, but it could save children's lives, one Greater Manchester teacher believes headWesthoughton High School head Neil Coe's words come after four pupils at a school were admitted to hospital.

The youngsters had inhaled vapes thought to have been spiked with drugs, including THC and spice.

Vaping habits among schoolchildren have become a cause for concern across the country in the last few years. A recent MEN investigation showed how easy it is to get illegal, unregulated and dangerously potent vapes in Manchester.

And the situation in our schools, according to Mr Coe, is bleaker than ever.

He says that pupils are so desperate to use their vapes that he's had to post teachers outside bathrooms around the clock in an attempt to block the youngsters. Even then, he says, it's "almost impossible" for teachers to stop the habit.