Mum-of-one Kerry Cox, of Beeston Street, Castle, was out drinking on Saturday, August 29, when she collapsed, suffering a terrible ordeal that left her unable to breathe or speak properly until the next morning.

"I was very scared, and I had never felt these effects before," said Kerry, 20.

"I suddenly had pains in the lower part of my chest. My arms hurt terribly and my fingers went tingly and seized up as if I was having some kind of spasm.

"I couldn't breathe, the room was spinning around me. I went to the toilet with a friend, and I couldn't even stand up or say anything."

Next morning, she reported the incident to Northwich police. They told her to have a blood test as soon as possible.

"They were concerned that there might have been some sort of drug in my drink. And some of my friends were saying that my reactions were those of someone who had taken ecstasy."

Kerry had visited several pubs but came over poorly at The Old Crown, in Crown Street - so neither she nor The Crown's landlord Ian Watton know in which pub her drink might have been tampered with.

"I was worried for her because she was in a very bad state," said Mr Watton.

"I drove her to Northwich Infirmary just after it happened, but it was after 11.30pm, so the place was closed."

Mr Watton added: "There is no problem with drugs at The Crown.

"There hasn't been in the years I've been here. Obviously, as Kerry had moved around that night, we can't be sure where it happened, if her drink was spiked."

Kerry was unable to take a blood test at the time of the incident because Northwich Infirmary is not equipped to test for 'drugs of abuse' like ecstasy.

Kerry finally took a blood test yesterday, Tuesday, with her doctor.

"I've never taken drugs in my life," said Kerry. "But if there was the slightest chance that it was ecstasy, well, it's a known killer."

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