11-year-old Lancaster boy 'taken in an instant' by social media craze

The family of an 11-year-old boy who died in Lancaster have issued a warning to parents about social media.

Emergency services were called to reports of a boy being unresponsive at an address on Greenset Close on Saturday. It's understood Police are treating his death as 'unexplained'.

It's reported that Tommie-Lee Gracie Billington had been attempting a craze on social media known as 'chroming' - in which a person inhales toxic gas for a temporary high.

In a post on Facebook his grandmother, Tina Burns, has said the family are "utterly devastated", and are now calling for tighter social media controls. She is also reminding people to check parental controls on devices.

A GoFundMe page has been set up, to raise money to pay for his funeral. The fund has so far raised over two-and-a-half thousand pounds.

If your favourite music icons are the Spice Girls and your favourite Ks are Kylie and the Kardashians, you need heat Radio in your life! heat Radio is portable, so you can listen to us on the move. Simply download our app from your phone’s app store, listen online at heatradio.com and at heatworld.com. We’re on all the smart speakers too, just say “play heat Radio".