Teenager loses stomach after drinking liquid nitrogen cocktail

Bars are being warned that selling liquid nitrogen cocktails could kill, after a teenage girl almost died in Lancaster.

18-year-old Gaby Scanlan from Heysham had her stomach removed after drinking a liquid nitrogen cocktail in a bar.

The bar has since stopped serving the 'super-chilled' drinks but the teenager is still seriously ill in hospital.

Prof John Ashton, a public health expert based in Cumbria, warned of the dangers of drinking the super-chilled cocktails.

He said: "It's extremely dangerous. You've got alcohol, which in itself is dangerous, we've got liquid nitrogen which is a dangerous chemical.

"People should not be fooling around with these sorts of things."

Lancashire Police have launched an investigation into the incident. Witnesses who were at the bar are being interviewed.

A Lancashire Police spokeswoman said: "Medical opinion is that this would have proved fatal had the operation not been carried out urgently.

"The investigation is still in its early stages and we are still interviewing witnesses to establish the full facts.

"The premises involved have fully co-operated with all agencies and have suspended drinks involving liquid nitrogen."