Teen arrested after vape leaves boy 'unwell'

A teenager has been arrested after an 11-year-old boy fell ill after using a vape.

Emergency services responded to The Italian Gardens in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, at 15:42 BST on Tuesday after CCTV operators reported the incident.

The victim was taken to hospital but has since been discharged. Tests are also being carried out on a vape which was recovered, Avon and Somerset Police said.

The teenage boy has since been released under investigation, and a teenage girl attended a voluntary interview on Wednesday in connection with the incident, the force added.

Insp Lee Kerslake said: "We know how concerning this incident is for our communities in Weston-super-Mare and we're carrying out a number of enquiries as part of our investigation.

"We will be keeping the boy's family updated as this work progresses. They are understandably shaken by what happened and we will provide any support we can.

"The neighbourhood policing team works very closely with our partners, including local authorities, to tackle issues around the sale of illegal vapes which pose significant health risks."

Anyone with information about the incident has been urged to contact police.

Councillor James Clayton, for Weston-super-Mare south, commended the "prompt intervention" of a community response officer who helped the child while they waited for the ambulance to arrive.

"The young boy had been given a vape device believed to be laced with harmful substances and rapidly became unwell," he said.

"Medical staff later confirmed that Chrissie Simpson's actions, [...] were instrumental and had potentially saved the boy's life."

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