£10 legal high killed teenager at RockNess, police fear

POLICE are investigating whether a teenager who died at a Scottish music festival took a “legal high” drug used by two of his friends, who have been hospitalised.

Alex Heriot, 19, from the Portobello area of Edinburgh, died on Saturday night after collapsing next to the main stage at RockNess, near Inverness.

Two friends who were in the same group as Mr Heriot – and had taken the drug Benzo Fury, which is sold as “research chemicals” – became ill and taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. RockNess event commander Superintendent Stevie Mackay said: “Early indications are that the man may have consumed drugs and this is one of the lines of inquiry at this stage. A post-mortem will be carried out to determine the cause of death.”

On the last day of the event yesterday, police warned festival-goers not to take Benzo Fury – which is usually sold in pink pellets in packets marked “not for human consumption”.

Supt Mackay said: “We know these tablets are on site. So far, 144 people have been caught with drugs at the festival and have been reported to the procurator fiscal. But it is still a relatively small number compared to the numbers attending.”

Police also revealed a 19-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man who were in the same group as Mr Heriot had both been hospitalised and were known to have taken Benzo Fury, a chemical compound also known as “6APB” which has similar effects to the drug ecstasy.

Supt Mackay added: “Taking drugs or any medicines, which you have not been prescribed, is an extremely risky thing to do. People may think that legal highs are safe, because they are not classed as a controlled drug, but they are extremely dangerous.

“If anyone has the tablets described or any other drug, whether controlled or a ‘legal high’, in their possession, they are advised not to take them and to hand these in.”

Mr Heriot’s friends shared news of his death on Twitter yesterday. Sophie Bubbles wrote: “We weren’t blood family, but you are still part of my family. Bye buddy.”