THE parents of a 25-year-old Bolton woman who died after drinking the new club drug nicknamed GBH, have called for an immediate ban of the legal but lethal drug.

An inquest was told today that Andrea Murphy, whose parents live at Lostock, was found dead at her Wigan home after a night out in October 1997.

After the hearing, her parents Patrick and Kath Murphy, of Dunchurch Close, Lostock, said: "It should be made illegal. We will campaign for it to be banned. Her father said :"Andrea's death has been devastating. Just a couple of days before she died she said to me 'Dad, I am so happy' and now she is gone."

Mr and Mrs Murphy plan to speak to their MP and to press the Home Secretary Jack Straw for laws to ban GHB, which is also known on the black market as GBH.

Miss Murphy, chef manager at restaurant Moon Under the Water, in Wigan, Lancs, was said to have taken the gammahydroxybutyrate in a car with friends. In a statement from a friend the Wigan inquest heard that the conversation between Miss Murphy and her four friends turned to the drug. The friend said Miss Murphy had asked if anybody had the drug with them.

The inquest heard that Miss Murphy was passed the bottle and drank two capfuls and then took a swig.

Coroner Martin Coppel recorded a verdict of death due to non-dependent drug abuse.

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