National health warnings have been issued about a new type of ecstasy drug called Mortal Kombat, pictured below.

The drugs are said to be responsible for a 17-year-old’s death in Glasgow, last month, and for a 16-year-old being taken to hospital in Lanarkshire last weekend.

Anyone who has taken any type of ecstasy, but particularly Mortal Kombat, is urged to get medical help straight away. Early warning signs include being agitated and distressed.

It is thought some tablets being sold as ecstasy actually contain the Class A drug PMA and hospitals have been sent alerts about the effects of it.

The Home Office says while an estimated 8.9 per cent of adults may use an illegal drug, that figure jumps to 19.3 per cent for those aged 16 to 24.

It is not yet clear what type of ecstasy Joe Preston had apparently taken, but his family is keen to warn others of the dangers.

Father Ed Preston said: “It’s not like going to the chemist and buying an aspirin, you don’t know what you’re taking. You could be taking any rubbish, well it’s all rubbish, but there’s no control over it.”