A FAMILY has paid tribute to “incredibly loyal” 30 year-old who they say accidentally died after a drug overdose.

Tom Elrington’s family believe he probably took a lethal cocktail of legal highs he had been able to order for next day delivery over the internet.

Tom, of West Bergholt, who had taken drugs since his teens, was found dead by his flatmate in Bury St Edmunds.

His mum Alison Elrington and sister Rosie McKinnon, said people needed to be aware of legal highs, which can contain a number of harmful substances yet their dangers are still not recognised.

Mrs Elrington, 55, and a former nurse, said three years ago she became deeply concerned for Tom’s well being.

He had been suffering from social anxiety.

“He would get these little jiffy padded envelopes in the post.

“I started intercepting them.

“I emailed two websites saying my son nearly died.

“I never got a response,” she said.

Tom mainly took ketamine and legal highs called Benzodiazepies and Pyrazolam –types of Valium.

His family said the latter had cost just a couple of pounds.

“They are really cheap.

“You can get quite a lot for a few pounds and do next day delivery and just get them in the post,” Mrs Elrington said.

Tom, who enjoyed drumming and writing poetry, quickly built up a tolerance to the legal highs and started taking them every day.

Tom’s family realised the lad nicknamed “Ginger Tom” by college-mates, needed help.

He spent three months in rehab at the Focus 12 centre in Bury St Edmunds from October 2014, where he managed to stop taking drugs.

He kept clean for another six months and had been living with a friend in the Suffolk town.

Rosie, 29, said he relapsed a couple of times but went to support meetings.

“Rehab isn’t a quick fix but he was in a good place.

“He was here for Mother’s Day weekend, he was very positive, talking about the future and in a really good way.”

He was discovered dead in his sleep by his friend at 8am on March 11.

Police found drugs but it is not known exactly what they were.

It is believed they included legal highs.

Tom’s death is not being treated as suspicious.

Rosie, who lives in London, said: “He was very, kind, very sensitive but always very, very friendly and had a good sense of humour.

“He was very bright, very quick-witted, he was quite a character.”

Mrs Elrington added: “He had a real shyness to him also, and was incredibly local.”

Tom grew up in West Bergholt and his dad Giles, 59, is a consultant neurologist who has worked at Colchester’s Oaks Hospital.

He also has a brother, James, aged 22.

Tom attended Ipswich School then Colchester Sixth Form and Colchester Institute.

His funeral will take place at St Mary the Virgin Church, West Bergholt on Saturday April 2 at 11am.

It will be followed by a wake, called “Tom Fest” at the family home in Lexden Road.

  • TOM Elrington’s family praised the work of the Focus 12 Drug Addiction Treatment Centre in Bury St Edmunds, where he spent three months.

Mrs Elrington said he successfully “graduated” and stayed clean for six months afterwards last year.

Focus 12, a charity, previously supported actor and comedian Russell Brand.

“He learned so much about himself and the trauma and damage drugs had done to him.

“They were just brilliant, they gave us our Tom back.”

The family is asking for donations to the centre and have a fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/Tom-Elrington

  • TOM’S family say they are keen to reduce the stigma around drug addiction and raise awareness of how easy legal highs can be to obtain.

Mrs Elrington said: “There is such a problem in society that addicts are treated like criminals.

“I suppose we are being so open about this because he wasn’t a bad person in any way, he was a lovely person, he needed help.”

Tom’s sister Rosie added: “Unless you’re a heroin addict living on the street, people don’t realise drugs can affect you in so many ways.

“There is still a lot of stigma around drug addicts, I think people need more support.”

Rosie said it was fortunate her parents had been able to afford to send Tom to the rehabilitation centre and they believe it gave them more time with him.