Tragedy of the gifted rugby player, 18, who died after buying deadly 'fat-burning' pills online

A gifted student who died weeks before receiving his A-level results was killed by lethal weight loss pills, it has emerged.

Medics originally believed 18-year-old Chris Mapletoft, a promising rugby player, had died after contracting meningitis.

But an inquest at West London Coroner's Court heard that toxicology results revealed he had been killed by 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), a slimming aid available online which doctors have branded extremely dangerous.

Chris, a student at Hampton School in West London, is the 16th person to die in Britain after taking the drug this decade.

He fell ill at his home in Twickenham, where he lived with his parents and sister, on June 18 and died later that day.

Chris was awaiting his A-level results and had an offer to study business at a top London university.

His death has prompted calls from industry experts to curb the drug and confront the 'impossible' body image boys aspire to achieve.

The teenager had been a star player for Hampton's 1st XV rugby team, winning a player of the tournament trophy at a competition last year.

Eight weeks after his death, his parents were told he had received the grades he needed for his chosen university.

As more and more young people seek out the illegal drug online, the Food Standards Agency is urging people to take note of the dire risks.

DNP, commonly used in pesticides and food dye, is illegal to sell for human consumption.

-DAILYMAIL