South Yorkshire boy's death triggers drugs arrests - The Star

But police say they are not treating Liam Gill's death at the weekend as suspicious.

One theory being investigated by medical tests will be that he took the recreational drug mephedrone, known as M-Cat, which was made illegal earlier this year after a number of fatalities in the UK.

The former De Warrenne Academy pupil collapsed and died near the Tom Hill Youth Club in Wadworth Street, Denaby Main, on Saturday evening.

Yesterday flowers had been placed outside a house opposite the play area on Wadworth Street and a police car was parked outside.

Liam's distressed mother, Sheena Clark, of Crags Road, said she was too upset to talk about her son's death.

People living in the area said Liam had been playing football at Tom Hill for a couple of hours before the incident.

A house in a neighbouring street was placed under police guard on Sunday for fear of reprisals after it was suggested a young man living there had supplied drugs.

People in Denaby Main who knew Liam said he was 'not the sort to get into trouble'.

One man who knows the family, but did not want to be named, said: "He was a lovely lad. He was not a trouble causer. I think he'd only just left school but I don't know if he had a job.

"Someone told me the police had arrested seven and one of them had been on the run but they caught him. As far as I know, Liam wasn't part of the drugs scene around here."

A resident of Wadworth Street said: "We were just going out on Saturday night when we saw the police turn up. When we came back a house was cordoned off. I don't know any details about what happened but it's very sad."

A police spokesman said Liam had been taken to Doncaster Royal Infirmary but could not be revived. He added: "Officers are not treating his death as suspicious. The people arrested were not held over his death, but in connection with drugs offences."