Did Mephedrone Kill Penrith Teen?

An investigation was underway today to see if the lethal party drug mephedrone was involved in the death of a teenage girl from Cumbria.

The body of Carmen Moulton, of Tyne Close Terrace in Penrith, was found at a house in the town's William Street in the early hours of Saturday.

The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene, after police were called to the house at 2.09pm by the ambulance service.

Two men, aged 19 and 31, and a 16-year-old girl, all from Penrith, have been arrested on suspicion of supplying controlled drugs. They have been placed on police bail until May 25 pending further inquiries.

A 40-year-old man, also from Penrith, has been arrested on suspicion of supplying controlled drugs and remains in custody in Carlisle for questioning.

Police said a post-mortem examination was being held to determine whether the recently banned drug was involved.

Carmen's mother, Michelle Hodgson, said: "We are all devastated by the loss of a caring, loving daughter who was full of life and had her whole life ahead of her."

The drug and its related compounds were branded Class B substances after measures were rushed through Parliament.

The Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) had recommended a ban, saying the substance was "likely to be harmful", despite incomplete research.

Mephedrone is derived from cathinone, a compound found in a plant called khat.

The laboratory-produced drug has a similar effect to amphetamines, ecstasy or cocaine.

It has been linked to several deaths, including those of Louis Wainwright, 18, and Nicholas Smith, 19, in Scunthorpe last mont. There has been no conclusive proof that it has been responsible for any of them on its own.

(LB/BMcC)