Brief: Irish man killed by diet pills bought online

A man in his twenties has died in Ireland after consuming a slimming product containing DNP, a dangerous ingredient which claimed the life of a woman in the UK earlier this year.

DNP - or 2,4-dinitrophenol - is an illicit and dangerous chemical that was first introduced in the 1930s as a weight-loss drug but was subsequently withdrawn on safety grounds. Interpol issued a global alert warning of the dangers associated with ingestion of the ingredient in May.

The latest fatality comes following the death of Shrewsbury woman Eloise Parry in May and a case in which a man in France was seriously injured by after taking capsules containing DNP.

Although usually sold in yellow powder or capsule form, DNP is also available as a cream. Besides the intrinsic dangers of DNP, the risks associated with its use are magnified by illegal manufacturing conditions, according to Interpol.