Bereaved mother: 4-year-old son killed playing internet 'choking game' warns

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Victim: Jack Pickles, 14, died after playing the 'choking game' which he discovered onl

The mother of a teenage boy who died after taking part in the dangerous 'choking game' has launched an emotional appeal to other children not to try the online craze.

Selina Booth found her 14-year-old son Jack Pickles dead in his bed after he was apparently inspired by videos on YouTube and other social media.

In the wake of his tragic death, she is now trying to stop others from suffering the same fate by raising awareness of the game.

Mrs Booth, 37, warned: 'They call it the "good boys game" because it's not taking drugs or alcohol. They actually think it's not going to harm them.

'Don't think it's safe because it causes seizures, hemorrhages, memory loss and there are kids in comas because of it.

'If you are playing it now my message to you is to stop. You can stop because it's not an addiction. Stop before it's too late.

'Do you want it to be your mum who hugs clothes that you're not in anymore just to smell you? Do you want your mum to ask your mates around so she feels that little bit closer to you?'

She discovered him lying unconscious at their home in Todmorden, West Yorkshire in February this year, and thought he was 'messing around' before she realised he had died.

An inquest recorded a verdict of accidental death - but many victims of the choking game have their deaths wrongly recorded as suicide, according to Mrs Booth, who also has another son and a daughter.

'Jack loved YouTube,' she said. 'He had his own site on there. I think that's where he found that choking game.

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Warning: Jack's mother Selina Booth has vowed to stop other children suffering the same fate

WARNING OVER DEADLY GAME

While the choking game - also known by a variety of other names - has existed for decades, the internet has apparently allowed it to spread more quickly.

Seven British children are believed to have died while playing the game in the past five years, while the US government has previously estimated that it kills more than six children a year.

An American study from 2006 found that a fifth of 18-year-olds had tried the craze - which is supposed to evoke a feeling of euphoria by cutting off oxygen to the brain.

Now videos of the game are freely shared on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, leading children around the world to try out the potentially fatal craze.

Even when the game does not kill, it can cause severe brain damage which could leave victims requiring lifelong care.

'I will get the Chief Coroner's Office knowing about this game, the police knowing about this game, schools knowing about this game and doctors knowing about this game. At the moment they don't even know the warning signs.

'I would like a charity in Jack's name so no other parents go through what I'm going through. Or if they are then a place they can come turn to.

'I just need help in fundraising it and getting it there. I don't want another kid going down as a suicide because of this game.'

Even though choking videos are banned from YouTube, it is thought that some are available to view because they escape the attention of moderators. 

Among the warning signs highlighted by Mrs Booth are bloodshot eyes, marks on the neck, moles that are bleeding, hearing loud bangs in the night and teenagers locking themselves in their rooms. 

Paying tribute to her son, she said: 'Jack was my best friend. We just did everything together - shopping, wrestling, holidays and days out.

'He was just funny. He was always doing something, whether it was eating silly food or telling jokes. He loved football, especially going to watch Burnley.'

Jack's girlfriend Chloe Dunlevy, 15, added: 'We just want to raise awareness about the choking game and stop people doing it.'