'Ketamine took our loving and caring Archie'

The mother of a 20-year-old "loving and caring" man who died of pneumonia due to prolonged ketamine misuse has warned other families to "know the signs" of the drug taking hold.

Claire Bates said she and her family were devastated by Archie Fotheringham's death and they are now speaking out to stop other families from going through the same devastating experience.

The 51-year-old from Lancaster warned It doesn't take long for it [ketamine] to take hold - to properly take a hold - and destroy".

"Know the signs and what to look for because I hadn't got a clue," she urged other families.

"If they knew what to look for - like the bladder problems - and it's not just a UTI (urinary tract infection) and the pain and taking painkillers isn't taking the pain away - they are red flags," she said.

She called for more preventative work to be done to teach people about the implications of ketamine misuse and more face to face support.

Claire is backing a Lancashire Police campaign to try to stop others from going through what Archie and her family have.

She urged people to learn more about the symptoms of ketamine misuse, saying the drug made her son distant, took a toll on his appearance and caused weight loss.

Claire said he had bravely opened up to her about his addiction and "didn't want to take the drug" but, while they tried to get help for him, he would not accept it.

"He'd been struggling with his stomach and I didn't know that that was one of the signs and so he'd been in and out of A&E," she said.

"From the July to the December the change in him was unbelievable."

Archie was found dead at his flat in Heysham on 12 December 2024 .

According to a government report, the number of people being treated for ketamine misuse in 2025 in England was more than 12 times higher than the same period in 2015.

Archie's family are supporting a county-wide campaign launched by Lancashire Police to tackle what the force said was "a blight on our communities and is especially insidious as dealers often target children and young people".

Members of the public are being urged to report any information on ketamine anonymously via Crimestoppers as part of this.

"This will help officers to stop the drug dealing and associated crimes at their source," the force said.

It said the aim of the campaign was also to educate.

A force spokesperson said a report from Manchester Metropolitan University suggested that ketamine use is especially on the rise among younger people, with children as young as 14 taking the drug.

They said they believed the issue to be under-reported and that was why they were appealing for information from the public.

"We need an accurate picture of the scale of the problem and, crucially, information on the dealers, so we can take robust action to protect our young people and communities," they added.

Dr Nigel Laycock from Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said ketamine mostly impacts the kidneys and the bladder, causing severe abdominal pain and incontinence and presenting as a urine infection which can go undetected.

He said the drug caused severe pain and those suffering from this can then turn to more ketamine to deal with it.

Finley Worthington set up Ketamine Education Services in Burnley to support people in recovery from ketamine addiction after he experienced "years of pain" due to ketamine misuse.

He was 18 when he first took the powerful horse tranquiliser, and six months later he was using it daily.

Finley said the drug had long-term effects - causing "physical and mental pain" - and he was still undergoing treatment.

Urging anyone struggling to reach out for support, he said: "There is a better life waiting and things do get better."

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