Drug counsellors and police will talk to teachers and children following reports of pupils taking a legal party drug on a bus.

Claims were made to The Argus that Varndean School pupils were seen taking legal high mephedrone, known as “meow”, the drug linked to the death of 14-year-old Gabi Price.

Gabi, of Coleridge Road, Worthing, suffered a cardiac arrest at a party in Moulsecoomb last Saturday and later died.

Police are investigating whether drugs were involved in her death.

Friends at the party said she had taken about two thirds of a gram of meow.

The Argus warned the school after receiving the report from a reader, which said: “I have become aware of the widespread use of meow by very young teens.

“My partner saw Varndean kids doing it on the bus on a Tuesday.

“These kids were no more than 12 to 13.”

The concerned mother of a Varndean schoolboy said: “The thing that really concerns me is that until now I’d never even heard of mephedrone.

“My son goes to Varndean and hearing 12 to 13- year-olds are taking it on the bus scares the hell out of me.

“If Gabi Price’s death wasn’t drug related, the speculation has made me aware of a danger I never even knew existed.

“I know there will never be anything to bring comfort to her family and friends over what’s happened but now there is at least one parent who is looking into the dangers of mephedrone and the information I learn will be passed down to my kids.”

The Argus warned the school and Brighton and Hove City Council of the claims about Varndean pupils.

A council spokesman said: “We take the dangers posed by legal highs extremely seriously and are already working to warn schoolchildren and young people about legal highs.

“The city’s youth drugs services and Healthy Schools Team is working in conjunction with community police officers to warn teachers and schoolchildren about these drugs.

“Like all other schools in the city, Varndean takes the safety of its schoolchildren very seriously and if any credible information is provided that leads to the identity of a pupil who might be engaged in dangerous activity the school will take the appropriate action.

“But these reports are unsubstantiated, relate to a legal substance and are activities outside the school gates.”

Anyone worried about meow, other drugs or alcohol, can call Brighton and Hove’s substance misuse service for young people, Ru-ok?, on 01273 293966.