FIVE Ecstasy tablets similar to these were bought on the streets of York to give a high. Instead, they brought death.

The pills killed Adam Lowry after he took them at a nightclub rave. He was just 17.

In the hours before his death, Adam had complained of hallucinations and "burning up". When admitted to hospital his body temperature had soared to 41.5C. The normal level is 37.

Today, a coroner who held an inquest into the tragedy delivered this chilling message: "Young people in York should reflect on his death and the danger of Ecstasy."

Adam, of Dunnington, died in the early hours of July 21 after collapsing at a rave called Destruction at the Doncaster Dome, an inquest in the town was told.

South Yorkshire East Coroner Stanley Hooper ruled Adam died of non-dependent abuse of drugs, and that it was clear Adam's parents were not aware of his drug habit.

He said: "Young people in Doncaster and young people in York should reflect on this death and particularly should have regard to the danger of taking more than one tablet of ecstasy.

"Notwithstanding that one may develop a degree of tolerance to it, ecstasy remains a dangerous drug."

Police and drugs experts went further than Mr Hooper in their warnings today.

They say every Ecstasy tablet can be lethal because the drug has no medical purpose, so there are no licensed producers and the tablets are all home-made.

Adam's inquest heard from Detective Sergeant Steve Palmer. of Doncaster, who said the teenager was part of a group that bought drugs from what he described as an "outlet" in York city centre.

One member of the group would buy drugs and distribute them to the others, he said.

Police today said investigations were ongoing to track down the supplier who sold the group the drugs that had killed Adam. The source of the drugs is not yet known.

Ambulance technician Robert Coe described meeting Adam at the rave stripped down to his jeans, complaining of "burning up" and hallucinating.

The teenager told him that he had not taken drugs, but he did not believe him. However, as time went on he appeared to calm down, come round and improve.

The effects of what he had taken were appearing to wear off.

But about two hours later, at 3.30am, emergency ambulance crews were called out to Adam and arrived to find him collapsed on the floor.

He was taken to Doncaster Royal Infirmary where he died three days later.

Medical experts said Adam's body temperature had been 41.5 degrees centigrade when he was admitted to hospital. The normal temperature is about 37 degrees centigrade.

Tests later revealed a quantity of ecstasy in Adam's body, but it was stressed it may not all have been taken at the same time.

Delivering his verdict, Mr Hooper said he could have taken between five and eight ecstasy tablets.

At the opening of the inquest in July, Mr Hooper asked Adam's father, Michael Lowry, whether he knew his son was taking unlawful drugs. Mr Lowry replied "no, not really".

Updated: 09:59 Thursday, October 07, 2004