A young Irish man has died after taking slimming pills, authorities have said.

Interpol has issued a warning to 190 police forces across the world, including gardaí, in relation to 2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP), which it describes as “an illicit and potentially lethal” drug used as a dieting and body-building aid.

Interpol has issued a global alert over the threat posed by the “diet pills” which claimed the life of a British woman.