Kingston Police have issued a warning about gummy sweets infused with cannabis after three children in Surrey fell ill when they consumed the product earlier this month.

The children aged between 12 and 13 were rushed all rushed to hospital from a street in Epsom after they started vomiting uncontrollably and falling in and out of consciousness, having consumed sweets they believed contained cannabis.

Though none of them suffered long-term ill effects the incident led to widespread concern and a police officer later commented that the children were "incredibly lucky" to not have been affected

Now Kingston Police have released a statement explaining what the sweets are and why they can be harmful to young people who eat them.

In a social media post, the force said: "We know many will be concerned after a recent incident in Surrey where several children fell ill after consuming what they believed to be sweets containing cannabis.

"We wanted to explain what they are and why they might be harmful to children who take them.

"The sweet versions are widely available on the internet and via social media and the packaging is often bright and colorful.

"They can be easily mistaken for normal sweets.

"Despite the professional appearance, there is no quality control in place for these products as they remain illegal, and so the contents cannot be monitored for harmful substances.

"The examples pictured [see photo above] are two of several products that may contain cannabis.

"These include products such as jelly sweets, gummies and lollipops.

"The amount of cannabis varies, but they often contain chemicals such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

"THC is the psychoactive compound in cannabis and is the controlled substance.

"They can be dangerous to inexperienced drug takers who might be attracted by the packaging, as they take an amount of time to have a significant effect.

"Many more than necessary may be ingested before a user sees an effect.

"If you are made aware of any social media accounts advertising these items, or a young person you know is taking these, you can report this information to the police, your child's school or Crimestoppers.

"If you are concerned about a person you know and drug usage, talk to FRANK is a Public Health England website and helpline that offers honest advice about drugs. You can visit their website at https://www.talktofrank.com or call them on 0300 1236600.

"In a medical emergency call 999."

For daily updates on what's happening in Kingston follow us on Facebook and Twitter . You can also sign up to our free weekly newsletter featuring exclusive articles for subscribers - just type your email into the box below.