A ROGUE ecstasy tablet almost claimed the life of a teenager in Eastleigh.

The girl, aged 16, was found slumped on a bench in the town centre just after midnight on Saturday.

She was deemed to be in a life-threatening condition and was rushed to Southampton General Hospital, where she was taken into intensive care.

After the emergency, police in Eastleigh issued a warning about ecstasy tablets which may be dangerous.

Hampshire's Drug & Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) is trying to establish what pill or pills the girl consumed and what they looked like.

She was found by a police patrol on a bench in Leigh Road, where she was surrounded by friends.

The following evening, she left hospital and was expected to make a full recovery within a couple of days.

Acting Inspector Andy Proctor said the girl had suffered an adverse reaction to Ecstasy on a night out with friends: "The reaction the girl suffered may be as a result of a bad batch of ecstasy and she was admitted to intensive care as a result.

"We would like to take this as an opportunity to highlight the potential dangers of drug use and would urge anyone who is offered ecstasy or any other controlled drug to seriously think twice about accepting them in light of what has happened."

A 16-year-old boy from Eastleigh has been arrested in connection with this incident and has since been released on police bail.

Anyone with any information about the incident should contact Eastleigh CID on 0845 0454545 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.