Daughter of rugby chief dies after taking Ecstasy
THE teenage daughter of a rugby club chairman was found dead the morning after taking Ecstasy at a sell-out rave.
Lauren Atkinson, 19, was discovered by friends in her hotel room hours after she tried the illegal drug at the Warehouse Project in Manchester on Friday night.
The beautician, who lived more than 100 miles away in the Lake District, had written of how she was looking forward to the event, posting on Facebook: ‘So excited – roll on tomorrow.’
Yesterday her father Nigel, 50, who runs Ulverston Rugby League Club, and mother Alison said: ‘We were blessed to have a daughter who touched so many and was loved by everyone. The world has lost one amazing girl.’
Two women, aged 24 and 21, were arrested on suspicion of possessing Class A drugs on Saturday. Two men, aged 24 and 26, were held on Sunday for possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply. All were bailed until February.
Police confirmed Miss Atkinson had taken Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, and said it was ‘very unlikely’ she was the only person to do so. Officers fear other partygoers may fall ill and urged them to seek medical attention because the drug could still be in their systems.
Friday night’s rave featured 15 DJs in four rooms at an underground car park that was formerly an air raid shelter. Miss Atkinson, from Ulverston, Cumbria, attended the event with seven friends after booking into The City Warehouse Apart-Hotel in Manchester.
The alarm was raised when her friends tried to wake her at 6am on Saturday and found her unresponsive. Paramedics tried to resuscitate her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Warehouse Project has been linked to concerns over illegal substances before. Sixteen people were hospitalised in a single weekend in 2013 after taking drugs at the venue, including a 30year- old man who died after overdosing on Ecstasy. The club responded by increasing the number of medical and security staff.