British police investigate teen girls' suicide pact

British police are still trying to establish what motivated two young girls to form a suicide pact in which one of them died.

British police are still trying to establish what motivated two young girls to form a suicide pact in which one of them died.

Laura Rhodes (13) is understood to take taken a fatal drug overdose while her
friend Rebecca Ling (14) is stable in hospital after also taking prescription tablets.
Police are waiting today to speak to Rebecca.

The girls are believed to have made their bizarre pact after police returned them home  when they had gone missing for two days.
 
The teenagers met and became friends over a year ago on the MSN Messenger
internet chatroom,

Police told Rebecca's family of the tragic twist at 6 a.m. yesterday, just hours after announcing they had found the two runaways safe and well at a bed and breakfast in Bath.

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Rebecca's family spoke of their shock over the tragedy, and said they had no idea what could have driven the happy and popular girls to run away from home and take a drug overdose.

Her mother, Alison Ling, and her natural father David are keeping a vigil at their daughter's bedside.

Yesterday, Mrs Ling's partner, Mr Neil Fisher, said Rebecca had woken once, but had drifted back off to sleep so no one had been able to get her version of events.

Speaking at the couple's home in Longbridge, Birmingham, Mr Fisher said: "It's such a strange story. Nobody knows how they got hold of the tablets or when they took them."

PA