School trip boy died after vodka binge

A schoolboy on a school trip to Germany collapsed and died after quickly downing two tumblers of neat vodka, an inquest heard today.

Nicholas Ireland, 17, and his friends had smuggled alcohol into their room at a Hamburg youth hostel without their teacher's knowledge last April.

After gulping the vodka Nicholas was sick and then collapsed on the floor of his bedroom. Three friends in the room placed him in the recovery position but then did nothing for half an hour as his breathing became shallower. Only when he started turning blue did they raise the alarm and paramedics were called.

The inquest in Woking heard that Nicholas had inhaled the contents of his stomach deep into his lungs when he vomited. The violent reaction which followed made his lungs fill with fluid and little could have been done to save him.

Thirteen pupils from the ?12,000-a-term King's College School in Wimbledon, two teachers and their wives had gone to Hamburg-on a scientific trip to visit an atom smashing facility.

Teacher Graham Bennett told the inquest the pupils were allowed to have a bottle of beer with their meal on the trip but spirits were forbidden. He was woken in his room at the youth hostel at 1.30am and told that Nicholas was ill. He went to the boys' room to find paramedics trying to save Nicholas.

Pathologist Dr Michael Hall said changes to the schoolboy's liver were consistent with a drinking binge.

The hearing continues.