A "SENSIBLE" teenager died after sniffing lighter fuel, a Burnley inquest heard.

Darren Holden, a 17-year-old carpet fitter, of Brantfell Drive, died from butane gas poisoning, the Burnley hearing was told.

Recording a verdict of misadventure, East Lancashire Coroner David Smith commented: "It is clearly a frolic that has gone wrong.''

He told Darren's parents: "I am sure the whole incident has come as a great surprise and that you knew nothing of these activities.

"I agree that your son and his friend had been very foolish but you cannot be with them 24 hours a day at that age otherwise they turn against you.

"He has done something which youngsters get into and on this occasion for some reason it has gone wrong.''

Darren's father Terence said everyone thought that he was too sensible to have become involved in that sort of thing.

Ian Mark Hartley, 22, of Kings Drive, Padiham, said that on August 7 he and Darren bought some cigarettes and alcohol and went to his home to watch television. About 8.30pm, after watching Brookside, they went to a shop in St John's Road where Darren got a black canister of butane gas.

It was different canister from the sort they had used before. "Isn't the gas all the same?'' Mr Hartley queried when asked by the Coroner.

He said they both took turns holding the nozzle between their teeth and inhaling the gas.

Darren then began to make funny noises, a sort of sighing sound.

He didn't respond when he first spoke to him and then slapped his face. He checked his pulse and he was still breathing.

Mr Hartley said: "Then I started panicking. I took him off the settee and put his head to one side so that he would not choke if he was sick. "I then drove to friends in Padiham. They came back with me and then I was told to ring for an ambulance because it looked as though he was dead.''

Mr Holden asked: "Why didn't you ring for an ambulance straight away?''

Mr Hartley apologised and said: "I was panicking. I had been on the gas as well.''

The Coroner said the analysis showed that the gas was four times the fatal level.

Mr Holden commented: "I could think of thousands of questions but it won't do any good. You (Mr Hartley) should have been past all that but unfortunately you weren't and he has paid for it.''

PC Carol Louise Kenworthy said police had carried out inquiries and were satisfied that the gas had been taken voluntarily.

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