A CORONER has warned of the danger of inhaling lighter fuel after the death of a Horwich schoolboy who collapsed while playing football.

Karl Robert Grundy, aged 14, of Robinson Street, Horwich, died after inhaling butane lighter fuel refills last October.

An inquest in Bolton on Tuesday was told that it was impossible to estimate how much gas Karl had inhaled, but that even a small amount can be fatal.

Coroner Jennifer Leeming, recording a verdict of accidental death, said: "Every death is tragic, but the death of a child is particularly so.

"We can learn that any level of butane gas is potentially life threatening because of its effect on the heart."

The inquest heard how Karl, a pupil at Rivington and Blackrod High School, had met up with three friends to play football in the lower level of Horwich Leisure Centre car park.

The area was normally sealed off but they managed to get in through a gap in iron railings.

"Everyone was in a good mood," said 15-year-old Anthony Stryker, whose evidence was read out in a statement.

He said that after 10 or 15 minutes the four boys decided to go to nearby Old Station Park.

Anthony told how Karl ran towards the gap in the railings but then stumbled and fell.

The friends carried Karl, who was unconscious, to a wall and tried to revive him.

"We all tried to wake him up by talking to him and shaking him but nothing happened. I was panicking," said Anthony

Stephanie Miller was walking her daughter home from school when she spotted the boys in the car park trying to revive their friend.

Mrs Miller, who has had some medical training after working in a hospital physiotherapy department, took over the resuscitation attempts and told one of the boys to ring for an ambulance.

"It is all too easy to pass by," Mrs Leeming told Mrs Miller.

"A lot of people would not necessarily have had the courage to do what you did and I commend you for your efforts."

When paramedics arrived just four minutes later they found Karl's heart was beating unevenly. Three attempts to shock him with a defibrillator failed and his heart stopped.

Attempts at hospital to restart the schoolboy's heart also failed.

None of the boys with Karl had seen him take any gas, but scenes of crime investigator Rachel Dunnion later found three gas lighter refills in the car park.

His mother, Jane, said that after Karl had once visited her a lighter refill had gone missing, but when she confronted him he promised not to use it again. A post mortem examination carried out on Karl revealed no obvious cause for his death, but toxicology tests showed the presence of fuel gases and that Karl had taken cannabis some time in the previous month, but it had not caused his death.

Pathologist Dr Melanie Newbould said: "The gas can have a direct effect on the heart and make it beat in an irregular manner.

"Any level is potentially dangerous."