Ref. 28726Four years ago Larry and Gloria Perring had to come to terms with their son's suicide. His body was found by their grandson. Now he has died aged just 13 after inhaling aerosol spray.

A SWINDON family is reeling from a second mystery death tragedy in three-and-a-half years.

Painter and decorator Darren Perring hanged himself in August 2000 in his Penhill flat.

The body was found by his son, Gary, who was then nine-years-old.

Since then, Gary had been mostly living with his grandparents in Washpool, West Swindon.

Last Sunday, Gary, then 13, died after apparently inhaling aerosol spray.

Gary's grandparents, Larry and Gloria Perring, were preparing for a celebration dinner on Sunday with the rest of the family.

They were going to a local restaurant to celebrate Gloria's 55th birthday. Larry was in the bathroom shaving. Gary was in his bedroom making himself smart for the special occasion.

"Suddenly I heard him tearing downstairs, screaming: 'Nan! Nan! Nan!' said Mr Perring, 57.

"I wondered what the hell was wrong and followed as fast as I could.

"Gloria was saying: 'What have you done?' just as he collapsed into her arms.

"He was gasping for breath and I dragged him outside as fast as possible to give him more air. I could smell the aerosol on his breath. I knew what must have happened but not how.

"I've been trained in life-saving techniques, so while I was doing all I could to resuscitate Gary, Gloria ran down the road to a doctor who lives nearby.

"By then several people had already phoned for an ambulance. The paramedics were fantastic. They did everything possible in the kitchen, giving Gary oxygen and adrenalin shots. Even in the ambulance and in hospital the medical teams were fighting all the way to bring him back.

"They always say there's a fine line between life and death. Gary was the wrong side of that line and there was nothing anyone could do.

"We had planned such a happy night and it ended a nightmare. Instead of celebrating in a restaurant we were mourning in the Great Western Hospital

"We were all just screaming our heads off when the doctor came out to tell us: 'I'm sorry, but he's gone.'

"We loved that boy to bits. He was a big football fan and followed Liverpool, I think because it was the club his dad supported. But he was also into trampolining, ice-skating and boxing.

"First he wanted to be a policeman, then a fireman and finally a motorbike racer. He was so full of life and the light of our lives. That light has gone out and nothing can turn it on again.

"I didn't shed a tear until four young children appeared at the front door with bunches of flowers and boxes of chocolates.

"That's when I broke down. I just ran out the back sobbing. I'd been bottling up the grief and this was the lever that let it all out."

Mrs Perring said: "When Darren died, I didn't think it possible for my life to sink to a lower ebb. You could never imagine such a bomb landing twice on your doorstep. I'm not over Darren's death. I honestly don't know how I'm going to cope, but we have a fantastic family and so much support.

"I bought the deodorant for Gary the day before he died and ever since I've been haunted by the thought that if I hadn't gone shopping on Saturday he'd still be alive today."

The Perrings' daughter, Julie Southgate, 33, the mother of two girls, is planning to launch a campaign to alert children to the deadly dangers of household products, such as aerosols.

"I feel very passionately about this because that little chap didn't deserve what happened to him," said Mrs Southgate of Penhill.

"I don't want to read about another child dying this way. I don't want another family going through what we are. I'm angry and I want to channel that anger constructively."

Mr Perring added: "Gary knew all about the dangers of drugs. He'd come home and tell us about talks they'd had at school from the police and other experts. He'd regularly tick me off for smoking, telling me I was damaging my health and I should pack it in before it was too late. But no one told him about the lethal threat from simple household goods. All he wanted to do was make himself smart and fresh for a night out with his Gramps and Nan."

Gary was a pupil at Bradon Forest School. He transferred from Greendown Community School in September.

Len Spiers, headteacher at Bradon Forest, said Gary was settling in well.

He said: "He had a solid group of mates and was enjoying school life.

"He got on well in his tutor group, and in the general life of the school.

"Everyone is extremely shocked and saddened by what has happened.

"We are providing counselling, but we are trying to keep the school running as normal.

"We have a very strong community, but when something like this affects somebody so young and so tragically, people need to grieve."

Mr Spiers, who has met with Gary's grandparents since the tragedy, said the school covered the dangers of substance misuse in its drug education programme.

Police are not treating Gary's death as suspicious, and are awaiting the results of a post-mortem.

Michael Litchfield