Students in Newcastle urged to speak up about allergies after teen's near-death reaction to curry

The family of a teenager who nearly died after eating out is urging students to speak up about allergies which could prove fatal.

Eleanor Lincoln, from Newcastle, suffered an anaphylactic shock and was left fighting for her life on her 18th birthday after unknowingly eating a meal which contained peanuts.

The traumatic incident in March 2021 had lasting effects - causing distress to the family and leaving Eleanor in fear at university.

Her mother Bridie described the event had her "worst nightmare", and told ITV Tyne Tees: "It was just one mistake. No-one intended to hurt Eleanor but an error was made."

Eleanor was treated in hospital and discharged. But even after going to university months later, the fear of something similar happening again remained.

"It was a real worry because I've always been really careful in the kitchen," continued Bridie.

"Eleanor's allergy is such that not only can she not eat peanuts, but her friends can't eat peanuts around her."

The family are now calling on students to make their allergies known to friends, in a bid to prevent potentially fatal reactions.

"No matter what that allergen is, if it's a similar one in another person, they really need to make sure that their friends know," she said.

For some people going to university, it can be a difficult conversation to have with people they have just met.

To try to break down the stigma, Newcastle City Council has teamed up with Newcastle and Northumbria universities, as well as Newcastle College, to try to give students the confidence to be open with their new friends.

Councillor Irim Ali explained: "I know sometimes it can be a bit challenging when you're with a group of peers and you don't want to be the one that stands out but this is really, really important because obviously it affects your health and could have a critical impact."

She added: "We've had some unfortunate incidents in the past so we've taken some proper action in making sure that those kinds of fatalities don't happen again in our city."

Among those to have lost their lives as a result of allergies was 23-year-old James Atkinson, who died in July 2020.

The computer programmer died at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary after he and his housemates ordered three chicken tikka masala pizzas, chips and Indian dishes from a local restaurant.

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James, who had recently graduated from Newcastle University, became unwell shortly after eating the pizza at his home in Jesmond. He did not know it contained nuts.

An inquest earlier this year ruled James, who did not have an EpiPen at the time, died from anaphylaxis caused by eating peanuts.

The coroner heard he had searched online whether the pizza was likely to contain nuts but did not contact the restaurant directly to inform them of his allergy.

Deliveroo, the app James used to order the takeaway, warns customers to tell the restaurant directly if they have any allergies.

The chef at the restaurant, which closed two years after the incident, told the inquest he would have refused to serve him had he known.

However, the restaurant did not say on its menu that a mixed nut powder, containing as much as 99 percent peanut, was used on the pizza, although it did mention the use of coconut, almond and cashew, the inquest heard.

James' death came four years after the death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse in 2016.

The 15-year-old had an allergic reaction to a Pret A Manager baguette bought at Heathrow Airport.

Her death led to a change in food safety laws. Known as 'Natasha's Law', it requires a full list of ingredients and allergens to be labelled on pre-packaged foods.

The sandwich she bought did not have any allergen information on it as this was not a legal requirement at the time.

Separately, the restaurant which served Eleanor, Khan's restaurant in Heaton, has since been prosecuted.

Newcastle City Council recently prosecuted three other eateries for serving nuts to people with allergies.

To try to ensure safety is not breached again, one of the first things catering students learn at Newcastle College is about allergens and cooking for people with specific dietary needs.

On the importance of learning about catering to allergies, Jacob Fairweather, who has dreams of becoming a chef, said: "It's very important because obviously it's a very high stakes thing.

"People can die, people can be harmed, people can be injured. [There can be] fatal accidents. Places can be shut down. Even the smell of something can kill someone."

Amelie Fagg, who is also learning how to cook allergen free pasta dishes, added: "It's one of the main things in the industry now. You have to think about everything, really.

"It's mainly cross-contamination - you have to make sure you have the right [chopping] boards, everything's clean. You have to make sure that it's all spotless or otherwise it could be fatal for someone."

With Newcastle such a popular city for students, it is hoped the new drive to increase safety can help those allergies enjoy everything it has to serve up.

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