A 15-YEAR-OLD boy was hospitalised after taking a ‘lethal’ new legal high.

The teenager from Darwen collapsed near Pleasington playing fields in Blackburn after taking just one hit of ‘Annihilation’.

His mother, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was horrified the youngster had been left in such a bad state having taken something that could be bought in a shop.

The drug, sold at Smoker’s World in Higher Church Street, Blackburn, is the latest legal high on the market.

It is sold there alongside other legal highs that have been on the market for longer including Black Mamba.

The mum said: “He was in a very bad way in hospital.

“He was hallucinating, was having heart palpitations, and he thought his skin was on fire.”

The drug, which is sold as pot pourri, and is labelled ‘herbal incense’ despite featuring an image of an atom bomb explosion on the packet, is smoked like cannabis.

The 15-year-old was with 15 friends near Hillcrest Road when his mother said he took one drag of the drug at 4.45pm on Saturday.

She said: “I got a call from the police saying I had to come to the hospital.

“I thought he was at the gym and I couldn’t believe it when they said he had taken something.

“He was vacant and dizzy and looked frightened to death.”

She said that as soon as doctors saw him he was hooked up to monitors and had blood tests.

She said the doctors were hampered in their treatment of the boy because no-one had ever heard of Annihilation.

He was released from Royal Blackburn Hospital on Sunday night but is still ‘unwell’ at home in Darwen. Hyndburn MP Graham Jones has called for urgent action on legal highs and said action should be taken against those who sell the drug, knowing the effect it can have on people.

He said: “The people who sell these drugs and those who pressure others to take them are cowards and just don’t realise what a boring existence they live.

“These legal highs are highly dangerous and just because they can be bought doesn’t mean they are safe to do so.”

The drug, which has only just started to be sold, is also known as Mary Joy Pink, K2, Warning and Review. It has already been blamed for hospitalising two youngsters in the North East last month, where calls have been made to make it illegal.

Two years ago mephedrone, also known as meow meow or bubble, was made illegal after it was linked to several deaths.

Bosses at Smoking World said the drug was being sold legally, 1g for £10 and 3g from £20. But warned: “Mix it with tobacco because it will blow your head off.”

The drug is widely available online.