Police have issued a warning after three people died from “fatal medical episodes” after a suspected dangerous drug batch.

Two men and a woman were confirmed dead in the South Shields area in northeast England on Tuesday afternoon, triggering an investigation.

Officers currently believe the deaths could potentially be linked to the same batch of drugs, which led to the “fatal medical episodes”.

The next of kin of three people, a man in his 30s, a man in his 40s and a woman in her 30s, have all been informed by officers of their deaths.

Now, Northumbria Police have issued an urgent warning to the public.

Detective Inspector Emma Martin, of Northumbria Police, said: “While the circumstances surrounding these three deaths remain unexplained, our over-arching priority as a force is to protect people from harm.

“While it remains unconfirmed at this stage, we are exploring the possibility that all three deaths are linked to drugs and possibly the same batch which has led to fatal medical episodes.”

Police didn’t say what type of drugs the batch were, but said all three deaths had occurred in the same town.

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They added: “We would never advocate anyone taking illegal drugs.

“It is, however, important that we ensure this warning message is spread far and wide, given all three deaths occurred in the same town – and in similar circumstances.

“If you are a drug user, or know anybody struggling with addiction, please be mindful of this message as we suspect this particular batch could have fatal consequences.”

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