POLICE believe a teenager who died in a cell may have taken drugs, it emerged yesterday.

Officers investigating the death of Martin Dakers, 17, of Pendle Close, Lambton Village, in Washington, Wearside, said it may have been prompted by Ecstasy.

The teenager was arrested in Lambton Village just after 9pm on Friday on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly, after spending some time out in the area.

He collapsed in Washington police station, and later died in Sunderland Royal Hospital.

A post-mortem examination revealed he died of a heart attack, but had no obvious abnormality.

Northumbria Police are investigating the death under the supervision of the independent Police Complaints Authority.

Superintendent Mick Hassen said: "We are still awaiting the results of toxicology tests, but early indications are that Martin had taken some kind of drug on Friday evening. We don't know what it was, or in what quantity, but it may have been Ecstasy, and this should serve as a strong warning to others about the potential dangers of taking drugs.

"We are now trying to establish exactly what Martin was doing in the time before he was arrested, and we need to speak to people who were either with him or saw him in the local area."

Anyone with information is asked to contact 0191-454 7555