AN OKEHAMPTON police sergeant has made a plea to parents to start talking to their children young about drugs, in the wake of the tragic death of a teenage girl in Tavistock.

The death of 15-year-old Hannah Bragg has sent shockwaves through the West Devon community.

Hannah collapsed and died after taking a substance believed to be MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, in a field on the outskirts of town on the afternoon of Saturday, June 23.

She was taken to hospital by air ambulance but was pronounced dead on arrival.

A man and two teenage boys were arrested on suspicion of drugs offences in connection with her death shortly afterwards. They have since been released and police enquiries continue.

Neighbourhood beat manager Sgt Pennie Channing, based at Okehampton police station, said: ‘We want parents across West Devon to talk to their kids and we want kids to reflect and think about what has happened.

’Kids do take risks and make bad decisions. My thoughts are that parents still need to talk to their children about drugs when they are a lot younger so that even when they get older and they start turning off, some of the information is there.

‘It is a scary time for teenagers because they want to experiment but they don’t always think about the consequences. Then things can go wrong.’

She added that the police had been in touch with Okehampton College as well as Tavistock College and Mount Kelly schools in Tavistock where pupils have been affected by the news of Hannah’s death.

A shrine has been created off Crowndale Road in Tavistock, close to the field where Hannah collapsed in the company of another teenager, a focus for the outpouring of grief from her classmates.

Hannah, who was in Year 10 at Tavistock College, enjoyed showjumping and played rugby for Tavistock Under 15s. She wanted to become a veterinary nurse or a nurse when she left school and she cared for lambs on the farm where she lived with her parents at Gulworthy near Tavistock.

‘People have been sending messages saying “we are so sorry, we loved Hannah.” We’ve had parents, too, saying things like “I’m so and so’s parent and my kids are in bits”,’ said Hannah’s mother Karen. ‘She was just so caring.’

She added her own plea for young people in West Devon to be wary of drugs

‘If it can happen to Hannah it can happen to anyone,’ she said. ‘We want them to think “Hannah took this and she died.” Am I prepared for what could happen?’