TWO young people are in hospital and three more are ill after ingesting capsules filled with an "unknown substance" at a school residence on Orkney.
Police have launched a joint investigation into the incident that occurred at the Papdale Halls of Residence which provides accommodation for Kirkwall Grammar School pupils who travel from outlying islands.
Five pupils took clear capsules containing an "unknown substance" which is thought to be a "brown or other coloured liquid".
The pupils fell ill on Wednesday, January 26 and two of the five were taken to hospital.
The details of the young people who have taken ill are not known but Papdale hosts pupils aged between 12 and 18-years-old.
It is understood that the condition of the two young people in hospital is not serious, however, police are liaising with NHS Orkney and Orkney Island Council (OIC) to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
READ MORE: Scotland braced for winds up to 80mph as 'danger to life' weather warning issued
A joint investigation is ongoing to establish the circumstances and the local authority are encouraging parents to speak with their children about the situation and hand over any remaining capsules.
An OIC spokesperson said: “We are asking for parental support to assist in dealing with this situation and want to stress that this is not about punishment, this is about the health and wellbeing of our young people at this time.
"We are appealing for parents and carers to ask their children if they have in their possession an unknown substance, in particular a clear capsule that may contain a brown or other coloured liquid.
"It is important that anyone with such a capsule hands it over to their parents, the school, an appropriate adult or the police and not to ingest it. It’s vital that we all work together to ensure our young people are made aware of the potential dangers of taking substances that they are not familiar with.
READ MORE: 'Hud yer breath': High-tech MRI scanner speaks to patients in Doric
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Two young people remain in hospital however medical staff have said their conditions are not causing concern at this time.
“A joint investigation is ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and inquiries are ongoing.
“Anyone with such a capsule is urged to hands it over to their parents, the school, an appropriate adult or the police, and not to ingest it.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here