A CORONER has accused shops who sell solvents to youths of putting profit before lives after an inquest heard how a 14-year-old boy died after sniffing butane gas.

And Michael Singleton warned shopowners that the full weight of the law would be thrown at those that offend.

Under the 1985 Intoxicating Substances Act it is illegal to sell canisters to under 18-year-old.

More recently the age was changed to 16 and anyone caught offending can be jailed for up to six months or fined £5,000.

Mr Singleton, coroner for Blackburn, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley, recorded a verdict of misadventure for James Edwards Mather who died last October following a gas sniffing session in a tree house he had built with pals.

A home office pathologist said the cause of death was from the inhalation of butane and iso-butane propane consistent with the inhalation of commercial substances such as lighter fuel and camping gas.

After the inquest his mum Betty revealed she had spoken to her only son just the day before about the dangers of drugs.

Although James, of Melbourne Street, Oswaldtwistle, was alone when he was sniffing the gas canister, his friend told the inquest that a gang of them would regularly buy lighter fuel to inhale.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said they would buy the 99p canisters from shops in Oswaldtwistle before taking them to the brook, near John Street and Merlin Drive, to inhale.

He said: "We did it at least once a week. It would make us high and happy and we would sometimes hallucinate."

The inquest heard that James had broke a pact made by his pals never to sniff gas on their own in case anything ever happened.

James, a former pupil at Moorhead High School, in Accrington, was alone in the tree house when he was found by his friend slumped against the wall.

A statement taken from him at the time, said James' head was purple and he had bubbles coming from his mouth. There was a blue gas canister beside him.

After failed attempts of mouth to mouth resuscitation, his friend lifted James to a nearby sheltered accommodation.

An ambulance was called and James was taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary, where he was pronounced dead.

The teenager said the gang had bought lighter fuel from a shop in Roe Greave Road.

Today owner Nadat Bashir said they used to sell gas canisters, but had not stocked them for months.

She said she had been visited by police as part of their inquiries and denied ever selling them to youngsters.

PC Gavin Fielden, of Blackburn Police, told the inquest a number of shops had been visited in in the wake of James' death.

No prosecutions had been brought due to insufficient evidence but Mr Singleton said he could direct police to make further inquiries if it meant preventing similar tragedies and make sure James did not die in vein.

He told the court that a recent report, conducted by the department of health services at St George's Hospital, in London, into deaths by solvent abuse, revealed that a peak had been reached in 1990 but 40-60 deaths still occurred every year from sniffing gas canisters similar to the ones that killed James.

Addressing his weeping parents Arthur, a lorry driver, and housewife Betty, both 53, Mr Singleton said: "I cannot begin to imagine the torment that you must have gone through since October 11 and indeed continue to go through.

"It concerns me that youths in my jurisdiction seem to have access to butane gas in canisters, which it appears are fairly easily available.

"I cannot believe that the profit of sales of canisters can in anyway justify turning a blind eye to the law which makes it a criminal offence to sell them to under 16-year-olds.

"The police have made it clear to me that if they have evidence to support criminal prosecution they will pursue it to the full.

"Perhaps more surprising is that some youths seem to appreciate the dangers involved but are prepared to accept the risks. I want to bring home to people within my jurisdiction just how dangerous this is, because the consequences can be what we have seen this afternoon and they are too grievous for anybody to have to bear."

Speaking after the inquest, James' parents said they were aware their son ocassionally smoked cannabis, but had no idea he was abusing solvents.

Dad Arthur said: "We used to look for signs of drugs, checking his eyes and if his clothes smell, but never saw anything out of the ordinary.

"It has been a terrible time for us."

Mum Betty added: "I talked to him the day before about drugs but he said 'don't worry about me mum. I'm not stupid."