The inquest into the death of a 15-year-old York teenager who died after taking Ecstasy has been opened.

Assistant coroner John Broadbridge told Northallerton Coroners Court, a post mortem had revealed that the illegal drug was the medical cause of Josh Reeson’s death.

Josh, from New Earswick, died in York Hospital on September 27.

He had been taken there after he became ill in Fulford shortly before 4am that day.

The inquest was adjourned until a date to be arranged.

Following his death, North Yorkshire Police arrested six people.

Two 14-year-old boys, were released under investigation. The other four, a 15-year-old girl, a 16-year-old boy, a 33-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man were released on bail.

Police are continuing their investigation.

Josh is the third teenager in York and North Yorkshire to die a drug-related death in 18 months.

Leah Hayes, 15, died in Northallerton in May 2019 after being given Ecstasy and a 14-year-old girl died in Scarborough in May 2020.

The county’s police, fire and crime commissioner, Julia Mulligan said about Josh’s death: “The availability of illegal substances on our streets is a huge concern to me, and has been for some time. Not enough has been done to tackle this, and that has to change.”