Isle of Man children who swallowed unknown substance 'in stable condition'

Three children between the ages of 11-12 are in a stable condition after ingesting an unknown substance near the National Sports Centre in Douglas and being rushed to hospital.

Tests were carried out on the youngsters at Noble's hospital in order to discover what substance they had swallowed.

Police were called to an area near The Bowl at the Centre at around 2.30pm on Thursday (13 April) after concerns were raised regarding the health of one of the children.

Inspector Juan Kinley sought to quash rumours on social media websites regarding the condition of the children – confirming they had been stabilised upon arrival at Noble's.

"There has been much speculation and rumour as to the condition of the children on social media which is incorrect.

"I can confirm that three young children remain in Noble's hospital in a stable condition receiving medical treatment.

"We are continuing an investigation into the circumstances of how the children came to have possession of the substance, but we believe that it was found by them earlier in the day in the Douglas town area.

"The public are reminded that if they find any unknown substances to hand them to the police or local pharmacy. The public are reminded of the real dangers of taking any unknown substances and this type of incident just underlines the consequences."