AN INQUEST has been opened and been adjourned into the death of a teenage girl who was rushed to hospital following a suspected drugs overdose.

Student Lauren Hawkins, aged 16, from Viscount Walk, Bearwood, Bournemouth, was taken to Poole Hospital on the night of Monday, July 6.

Her condition deteriorated and she died three days later.

On Wednesday at Dorset Coroner's Court, Bournemouth Town Hall, a short hearing took place.

Dorset coroner's officer Ken McEwan told the court: "The brief circumstances are that the ambulance service had been called following reports of a female in cardiac arrest in a park in the Wimborne area.

"Paramedics have attended and transferred the female known to be Lauren Hawkins to Poole General Hospital.

"On admission Lauren had been taken to the intensive care unit where her condition has continued to decline."

Lauren passed away in the care of the hospital after family members had been notified, the hearing was told.

The cause of death was confirmed as hypoxic brain injury, cardiac arrest and drugs toxicity.

Mr McEwan said: "Police have been made aware of the incident and they continue to conduct their investigation into this matter."

Adjourning the inquest for a review in October, coroner Brendan Allen said: "In the meantime I am going to request statements from Miss Hawkins' family, from her GP and from the police, regarding their investigations, and from the hospital regarding her treatment and care there."

Emergency services attended Redcotts Park, Wimborne, around 11pm on Monday, July 6.

Four people have since been arrested in connection with the incident, on suspicion of the supply of a controlled drug of class A.

All four have been released on police bail while investigations continue.

They include a 17-year-old boy from Wimborne, two 16-year-old boys from Wimborne and a woman in her 20s from Bournemouth.

Dorset Police, in a statement released after Lauren died earlier this month, said: "Our thoughts are with her family and they are being supported by specially-trained officers."