A notorious stunt website sparked a major inquiry -- by filming a boy as he appeared to shock himself with a hospital defibrillator.

The 17-year-old from Darwen was filmed playing with potentially deadly equipment in casualty at Blackburn Infirmary for the Live Now Die Later site.

Just feet away, his friend was lying in bed after being taken to hospital by ambulance after another of the group's recorded stunts went wrong.

Investigations have now been launched by the East Lancashire NHS Hospital's Trust and Lancashire's Ambulance Service into how the youths were able to film in the ambulance and on an Accident and Emergency side ward.

And security staff at the Trust have been shown the video clips and the names of the youths so they can be monitored in future.

It is believed the footage is several months old but police are still treating it as evidence and will prosecute if they believe an offence has been committed.

The revelations came just two days after the Lancashire Evening Telegraph revealed that the notorious Darwen-based website was back up and running after being closed following a police investigation.

The move came despite the ringleader vowing to change his ways after pleading guilty to assault and intent to injure at Blackburn Youth Court in November.

The case was brought after he set a boy's bare back on fire and burned a smiley face into another boy's arm. Police hit out at the magistrates' decision to give him a conditional discharge and give him back his computer equipment.

The hospital footage begins with youths from the Live Now Die Later group, which carries out stunts in the style of MTV show Jackass, filming themselves on an aerial rope slide.

The handle breaks, causing one of them to fall between 15-20 foot onto rocks.

Footage on the website replays the moment when the teenage hits the rocks, winding himself, injuring his ribs and cutting open his right arm.

An ambulance is called to the scene, close to Darwen FC's football ground in the Anchor area of Darwen and paramedics are filmed treating the boy in the ambulance.

He is given a mask to wear and his arm is bandaged while he is transferred to Blackburn Royal Infirmary's casualty department. Filming continues when the youths are left alone in a side ward.

The footage shows the youth wearing a neck brace and arm bandage in a hospital bed laughing while the other -- the group's ringleader -- places the defibrillator, which cost in the region of £8,000, on his chest twice and jumps back as the sound of electricity can be heard.

A spokesperson for the Lancashire Ambulance Service, confirmed an inquiry into why filming was allowed in the ambulance has been launched and whether or not the crew informed hospital staff that the youths had video cameras with them.

She added: "Lancashire Ambulance Service has only today been made aware of this incident and is investigating the matter further with the crew concerned."

And Dena Marshall, chief operating officer for East Lancashire NHS Hospital Trust, said: "In order to protect patient confidentiality, filming is prohibited without the express permission of the Trust and any patients or staff who are filmed.

"In this instance the Trust was unaware that the boys were carrying a video recorder or that they were using it in the treatment room. The behaviour of the two youngsters whilst one was receiving treatment did not conform to these protocols and we will be following this up with them directly by writing to them.

"The patient was not considered to require constant supervision by clinical staff as all patients and visitors have a personal responsibility to respect hospital property and not to interfere with life-saving medical equipment.

"These boys could have injured themselves or put others at risk by damaging expensive life-saving equipment."

A spokesperson for the Trust added that as they were informed that the patient was 16 there was no need for him to be accompanied by or supervised by an adult.

Vice chairman of the Patient and Public Involvement Hospital's Forum, John Amos, said: "Accident and emergency departments are extremely busy places and often under-staffed so I am not surprised that the boy's were left unsupervised.

"It is every patient's responsibility to act properly in hospital and not tamper with potentially deadly equipment."