Father's heartache at daughter's drugs death

THE heartbroken father of a girl who died of a suspected drugs overdose enjoying her first music festival has described her death as "every parent's nightmare".

Like thousands of other youngsters, 20-year-old Katie Jones went off excited about the weekend ahead at the Kendal Calling event in Cumbria.

Leaving home in Henllan, near Denbigh, North Wales, on Friday afternoon, Katie drove up in her car with workmates to enjoy the bands playing at the weekend-long summer event.

But on Friday night she suffered a reaction to drugs. It is not yet known what she took or how she got hold of the drugs.

Doctors battled to save her life but she died on Saturday night in Lancaster Royal Infirmary with her father Jonathan Jones, mother Janet and brother Owen, 22, at her bedside.

Katie had studied A-levels with a view to going to university but had been working in a local ceramics factory.

She had recently described her life as being "10 out of 10".

Mr Jones, who works in the motor trade, and his wife, who is a psychiatric nurse, said they found out something had gone badly wrong in a phone call in the early hours of Saturday.

He added, "We are just absolutely devastated at what's happened. Every parent has concerns, but that's all. It is every parent's nightmare.

"Katie was fun-loving and vivacious and her life revolved around her family and friends who loved her very much. She had the gift of a wonderful sense of humour that brought happiness into people's lives.

"Memories of these moments will live on in everyone who knew her. She was very happily involved in her work in a ceramics factory in Denbigh and had recently told her dad that her life satisfaction stood at 10 out of 10.

"This was the first time that Katie had ever been to a music festival."

Katie's closest friends say she was not a regular drug user and they, and her family, are at a loss to understand why the tragedy happened.

Colin Pritchard, Katie's uncle added: "She was not a habitual drug user. Likeable, family-orientated young people can die from these things as much as people who dabble and deal in it."

In a statement, her relatives added: "Her family are keen to express their wholehearted gratitude to the emergency and medical services who tried their utmost to avoid this tragic end to a beautiful young life."

It also emerged that one of the bands performing at the festival appeared to encourage the use of drugs in a free festival booklet.

The band, Deathretri, wrote: "Don't just get pissed, take a load of drugs and miss the bands. Do all three."

Festival organisers said they operate a zero-tolerance approach in relation to drugs.

Andy Smith, co-organiser, said they were not aware of the quote until after Katie's death and immediately stopped the booklet's distribution.

He added, "That was awful. Things like that should not have appeared in our booklet."

Young victims of the desire to take illegal drugs

A number of high profile cases have hit the headlines in recent years of young people who have died after taking drugs:

Lorna Spinks, 19, died after taking two Ecstasy tablets before visiting a nightclub in Cambridge in 2001 .

Her parents, Elizabeth and Alan released a photograph of their daughter's dead body in a hospital bed to serve as a warning to other youngsters not to use illegal drugs

Rachel Whitear was found in student digs after overdosing on heroin in 2000.

Her parents Mick and Pauline Holcroft, of Ledbury, Herefordshire, allowed pictures of their daughter to be used in an anti-drugs video for secondary schools.

Schoolgirl Leah Betts, left, died in November 1995 shortly after her 18th birthday.

She took Ecstasy during celebrations but it is believed she died of water intoxication, caused by drinking too much to counteract the drug's dehydrating effects.

Australian teenager Anna Wood died aged 15 after taking Ecstasy in a Sydney nightclub in 1995.

After being found unwell in the club's toilets she slipped into a coma. She died two days later, never having regained consciousness.