Pupils drink lab chemical

Six school pupils drank ethanol they had taken from the science lab of their West Midlands school while apparently mimicking a storyline from a BBC drama.

The teenagers were rushed to hospital after drinking the pure alcohol they took during a lesson at Aldridge School, allegedly copying a storyline from Waterloo Road.

The five girls and a boy, aged 14 and 15, were today said to have escaped any lasting health problems.

Education bosses in Walsall today said the BBC had "taken a risk" with the TV ethanol plot.

Councillor Rachel Walker, portfolio holder of children's services for Walsall Council said: "It's unfortunate that the young people had access to the chemicals involved and did not take on board the further content of the programme. The BBC has taken a risk with their programming as they do with lots of their gritty storylines."

Warnings are now being sent out to other borough schools about securing chemicals following the drama, at 2pm yesterday.

Wednesday's episode of Waterloo Road showed characters making ethanol cocktails. But it also featured a nurse repeatedly telling the pupils they could die from drinking ethanol. A BBC spokesman today said the show had tackled the issue in a "responsible manner". He said: "The episode clearly showed the dangers of using ethanol and did not glamourise it in any way."

The pupils from the Tynings Lane school were taken to Walsall Manor Hospital but were allowed to leave with their parents yesterday evening.

A letter to parents from school head teacher David Mountney today said a probe had been launched. "There are no concerns about their health and well-being and all of them are fully engaged in their GCSE exams at school today, as normal," he added.