Tommie-lee Gracie Billington: Two questioned by police after 11-year-old dies from dangerous TikTok challenge

Police have questioned two people following the tragic death of 11-year-old Tommie-lee Gracie Billington, who died after taking part in a dangerous TikTok challenge. A 25-year-old man has been arrested and a 35-year-old woman interviewed in connection with the incident that occurred on March 2 during a sleepover in Lancaster.

Tommie-lee lost consciousness after "inhaling toxic substances" and was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital. The inquest revealed that he was involved in 'chroming,' a trend where individuals inhale toxic chemicals like paint, solvents, aerosol cans, cleaning products, or petrol. This practice can severely impact the central nervous system, leading to a short-term 'high,' but also poses serious health risks such as heart attacks or suffocation.

Lancashire Police said the man, from Lancaster, was arrested on charges of child cruelty, neglect, possession with intent to supply a drug, and money laundering. He has been released on bail pending further inquiries. The woman, also from Lancaster, was interviewed voluntarily about an allegation of possession with intent to supply and has been released under investigation.

Following Tommie-lee's death, his devastated grandmother, Tina Burns said: “He had a heart of gold just like his dad. Our family is utterly devastated. He died instantly after a sleepover at a friend's house. The boys had tried the TikTok craze 'chroming'. Tommie-Lee went into cardiac arrest immediately and died right there and then. The hospital did everything to try and bring him back but nothing worked. He was gone."

Tommie-Lee lived with his mother Sherri in Lancaster, while his father's family resided in nearby Clayton-le-Woods and the South Ribble area of Lancashire. Both families are now committed to raising awareness about the dangers of TikTok and other social media platforms for children.

Mrs Burns, who is a teaching assistant, stressed the importance of protecting children from harmful online trends, saying, "We don't want any other children to follow TikTok or be on social media. In fact, we want to get TikTok taken down and no children to be allowed on any social media under 16 years of age. This is breaking us all, but we want to help save other children's lives and give families awareness to keep their children safe."

Tommie-Lee's mother, Sherri, also urged parents to "hide all deodorants from their children" to prevent similar tragedies. In a heartfelt Facebook post, she wrote: “Please, please, please hide all deodorants from your children. This cost my son his life from trying something other kids are doing. They are using this and breathing them in to try get a buzz. It is beyond me why anyone would even try this. It’s so dangerous."

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Tommie-lee's death and encourage anyone with information to contact Lancashire Police.