An 11-year-old boy tragically lost his life after attempting to get high by inhaling a Ted Baker body spray aerosol in his bedroom late one night. The young boy, Freddie Davis, was discovered lifeless in his bed by his mother the following morning as she went to wake him up for school.

Freddie, a Year 7 student, died due to the inhalation of butane aerosol propellant, according to the findings presented during an inquest into his untimely death this week. The coroner took this opportunity to alert parents about the dangers associated with this growing trend.

Freddie’s mother, Roseanne Thompson, shared that she had heard about children around her son’s age being influenced to experiment with aerosol sniffing due to videos they watched on TikTok. In an attempt to safeguard her son, she had even stopped purchasing spray-on deodorants for him.

In an effort to raise awareness among other parents, Ms. Thompson shared photographs of her son with the Daily Mail, emphasizing the lethal risks involved. She stated, “Aerosols do kill.”

The inquest, held at the East London Coroners’ Court in Walthamstow, East London, was attended by Freddie’s parents and both sets of his grandparents.

His parents and both sets of grandparents were present at the inquest at East London Coroners’ Court in Walthamstow, east London.

The court heard that Freddie was an ‘outgoing boy who loved sport and learning’, enjoyed school, was popular and respectful.

On the weekend of his death in January last year he had been to stay at a friend’s house in Brentwood, Essex, and was ‘stroppy’ when he was told he needed to be home in time for dinner on the Sunday.

In a written statement, his mum said she had offered to help him arrange some lights in his bedroom that evening, on the proviso he tidied it first.

At around 9.20pm he came downstairs saying he couldn’t sleep.

After going back up, the rest of the family also went to bed, but Freddie came into his mum’s room twice asking for a phone charger.

She offered to keep his phone overnight to charge it and Freddie asked if she could wake him up by 6.30am the following morning because he had school – he had recently started at Drapers Academy in Harold Hill.

Ms Thompson said she finally went to sleep, heard nothing in the night and woke at around 6.20am the following morning, Monday January 20, 2025.

‘I went into his room to wake him up,’ her statement read. I opened the door and called out ‘Fred’ as I do most mornings.

‘I could see he was lying on his front with his face down. I called Fred again. Usually by now he would have responded.

‘I began to analyse his position and was thinking ‘why is he like that?’ I put my hand on his shoulder and noticed he was colder than usual.

‘I called out for help and said ‘I think Fred has gone.’ I dialled 999 and said to the operator ‘I think my son is dead.’

Freddie was turned over so CPR could be attempted, but Ms Thompson said: ‘I knew he had passed away.’

PC Neil Price, of the Met Police, attended the scene in Harold Hill, east London.

‘The scene was obviously emotional,’ PC Price said. There was a smell emanating from the room, but I couldn’t distinguish what it was at the time.’

As Freddie was rolled over, the Ted Baker spray can fell out from his dressing gown.

London Ambulance Service confirmed that the child had died so no CPR was given.

A search of the house revealed nothing amiss.

No one knows where he got the can, but Ms Thompson believes that a friend must have introduced him to the dangerous trend.

Four vapes were also found in Freddie’s bedroom.

A report compiled by two senior police officers confirmed that a computer and phone taken from the scene contained nothing relevant.

It said: ‘There was no evidence of any discussion around the inhalation of solvents or discussion with others about the use of such things.’

It went on: ‘Mum was noticeably shocked by the deodorant.

‘They had started to buy Freddie Lynx and in 24 hours it would be empty.

‘There was a trend whereby children empty cans of deodorant into socks and use it to get a high.

‘He was told of the risks and they began buying him roll-on deodorant.’

Police spoke to Freddie’s friends and school and there was nothing to indicate bullying or any trends relating to aerosol inhalation.

The school held follow-up assemblies where they asked anyone with information to come forward but no-one could give any relevant information about the death, the court heard.

Ms Thompson, 34, said after the hearing that a year before Freddie’s death she had heard of a TikTok trend called ‘Chroming’ and had sat Freddie down to warn him never to take part.

Chroming videos are still available on TikTok. It sees people inhale common household substances, like nail varnish, paint and spray cans.

A police report into Freddie’s death said officers were aware of a trend in which children empty cans of deodorant into socks and use it to get a high.

But Freddie had not searched for the trend online, had not researched anything to do with aerosols or suicide and his friends could shed no light on what had happened, the court heard.

Ms Thompson said in a statement to the court that she had started to buy him Lynx spray but noticed once that an entire bottle had gone in 24 hours.

After this and hearing about the sniffing trend, Ms Thompson had started to buy Freddie roll-on deodorant instead.

Forensic toxicologist John Slaughter said propane, butane and isobutane were found in Freddie’s tissue samples, consistent with the contents of the can.

Spraying aerosol into the airways is highly toxic and can cause coma.

The sudden coldness can also stimulate the vagus nerve, causing dangerous heart arrhythmias, he added.

Pathologist Dr Liina Palm (CORR) gave the cause of death as inhalation of butane aerosol propellant.

At the conclusion of the inquest, coroner Nadia Persaud also said that parents need to be aware of the possibility of aerosol misuse in their children.

Area coroner Ms Persaud said: ‘I do not know whether parents are aware of the danger of these aerosols but I think there needs to be more publicity.’

And she said she would be writing to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) to make them aware of the case.

Friends and family raised more than £1,700 for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, with a GoFundMe describing Freddie as ‘full of life and laughter.’

Ms Thompson, who is separated from Freddie’s dad Ashlie Davis, 37, said afterwards ‘Aerosols do kill.

‘Children are easily led and they do not realise the dangers.

‘I wouldn’t even risk bringing aerosols anywhere near my family now, I won’t even have them in the house.

‘These things do kill people.’

Freddie’s death follows dozens of others in the UK, both from intentional inhalation and accidentally breathing in too much spray.

Between 2001 and 2020, there were 716 deaths related to volatile substances registered in England and Wales, with an average of 36 deaths each year – and an overwhelming majority (77.9%) among males.

Fuels were the most common volatile substances mentioned on the death certificate, involved in 59.5% of deaths, with butane and propane – both commonly found in aerosols – specified in 447 deaths.

Ashley Martin, public health adviser at RoSPA, previously said: ‘It’s easy to assume they are completely safe and totally free from risk. The truth is they’re not.

‘Inhaling large quantities of aerosols, not just deodorants, can lead to a whole host of life-endangering scenarios – from blackouts and breathing difficulties, to heart rhythm changes and sadly, death.

‘There’s a common misconception that fatalities from aerosols only happen in a substance abuse scenario, but this is absolutely not true.

‘We have seen a number of fatalities over recent years where children and young adults have over-sprayed aerosols – from teenagers conscious of body odour, to children seeking reassurance from familiar smells.’

The coroner recorded Freddie’s death was accidental.