Diet Pill Victim's Mum: 'Don't Take This Drug'

The mother of a 21-year-old student who died after taking diet pills bought online has said she would not wish her daughter's suffering on anyone.

Fiona Parry told Sky News doctors could do nothing to save her daughter Eloise after she took the tablets, believed to have contained a highly toxic industrial chemical.

She died on 12 April at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

"My message would be please don't take this drug, it is an awful way to die," Mrs Parry said.

"They cause you to overheat, they cause your kidneys to fail, they are dreadful things.

"I wouldn't wish this on anybody."

Ms Parry's exact cause of death has not been established, but police suspect she inadvertently took a lethal dose of Dinitrophenol, also known as DNP.

"I think she must have known that something was wrong because obviously she took herself to hospital," Mrs Parry said.

"By the time she realised something was wrong it was already too late.

"This is a really nasty drug. Once it is in your system there is nothing that will get it out again.

"She went to A&E because she thought they would be able to help, but they couldn't."

Police have now issued an urgent appeal to the public not to buy pharmaceuticals online.

Chief Inspector Jennifer Mattinson said: "We are undoubtedly concerned over the origin and sale of these pills and are working with partner agencies to establish where they were bought from and how they were advertised.

"The coroner's report will establish the exact cause of Eloise's death but we urge the public to be incredibly careful when purchasing medicine or supplements over the internet.

"Substances from unregistered websites could put your health at risk as they could be extremely harmful, out-of-date or fake."

It is not clear how many of the pills Ms Parry took, or how long she had been taking them.

Mrs Parry paid tribute to her daughter in a statement on Monday.

"It is such a great sadness that her life ended so soon, and, in many ways, ended before it had really had a chance to begin," she said.

"There were so many things that she dreamed of doing - travelling, having a career and having a family - things that she never got a chance to experience.

"She will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her and it will be all the good memories of her that we will cherish as we go through the difficult weeks and months ahead."

A spokesman from Glyndwr University, where Ms Parry was a student, said she was "a popular student with staff, peers, across the university and within placement".

"She always strived to do her best in everything and had great potential both academically and in practice.

"She will be sadly missed by us all."

Anyone with information that could help the investigation is urged to contact police on 101.