University students die after taking horse tranquiliser as recreational drug

Two students from Newcastle University who died within a day of each other last month are believed to have died from a drug-fuelled university party. Ongoing police investigations say they may have died from taking class B ketamine. The mothers of Stephanie Sillifant and Jeni Larmour, both 18, were called in to identify their bodies just days after dropping them off for Fresher's Week.

Sillifant and Larmour were both living in the same university accommodations and had only been in the city for a matter of hours before they were dropped off by their parents. Laramour, from County Armagh, North Ireland, died within the first two days of starting her course in architecture. Sillifant, from Nottinghamshire was set to pursue a medical degree but died the day after Laramour's death in early October.

During investigations, ketamine was found in both flats in the same hall for female students, which led police to issue an urgent drug warning . Their tragic deaths have now laid fear of high-risk behaviour by students who turn to recreational drugs to compensate for lockdown boredom.

Rumours around the student village state that a bad batch of drugs was being sold and some students were able to get a hold of them.

A third student, Nathaniel Pavlovic from Northumbria University, also died on the same weekend. Pavlovic, who was in his third year of study, died after taking class A drug MDMA in his university accommodation in Newcastle's city centre. Senior coroner for Newcastle said initial indications are that he had also been drinking prior to consuming the drug.

Eleven people have since been arrested in connection with the deaths, reports Northumbria Police.

Police Chief Inspector Steve Wykes said more student blocks have been searched as part of the investigation and urged anyone in possession of drugs to dispose of them either by contacting a university welfare officer or by visiting their local police station.

According to an article on the Independent, further investigations revealed that local dealers have been approaching students within days of their arrival. Cards were said to be left under doorways of the student's halls, which direct them to an Instagram account where they can easily order their choice of drugs.