Police renew warning over deadly party drug

North Yorkshire East Coroner Michael Oakley ruled that the now banned rave drug had been a contributing factor in the death of the 24-year-old from Wood Street, Norton, Malton.

Miss Waters was found dead in bed after staying at her friend Sarah Ford's house in Riverside View, Norton, on March 22, just weeks before the substance was outlawed.

Recording a misadventure verdict, the coroner said that a combination of Mephedrone – which was being offered around and taken by Miss Waters at a party two days before her death – and Citalopram and Diazepam had led to the tragedy.

Yesterday North Yorkshire's assistant chief constable Tim Madgwick said: "This tragic case highlights the very real dangers that drugs pose, particularly those which we know very little about.

"Mephedrone spread so quickly that people were clearly unaware of its dangers and, like all drugs, was causing untold damage to people who thought, because it was legal, it was safe.

"Drugs are illegal for a reason, they can and do ruin lives and those of loved ones too. North Yorkshire Police are committed to making people aware of the dangers of drugs and bringing people involved in their supply to justice."