Eighty Oxfordshire schools were warned of the possible threat of deadly "Strawberry Meth", aka "Strawberry Quick" - crystal meth disguised as mouthwatering fruit-flavoured sweets - after an officer fell for a classic web hoax.

The unnamed plod was alerted to the menace by email, and promptly forwarded the missive "via a special system connecting police and schools without checking it with colleagues", the Evening Standard explains.

West Oxfordshire's most senior police officer, Chief Inspector Dennis Evendon, apologised for the cock-up, explaining: "The officer should have double checked before taking this action, which he did take with the best intentions. We will be making sure this sort of thing does not happen again."

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said the officer "would not be disciplined over the incident", but that "internal processes would be reviewed".

If it's any consolation to the force, Florida plod last year warned on the rising use among local high school students of fermented "fecal matter and urine", known as "Jenkem", or "Butthash".

While there have been reports that Jenkem does indeed provide a high for inhabitants of the world's poorest countries, it seems unlikely pampered US kids would take to inhaling crap gas when they can so easily avail themselves of Strawberry Quick. ®

Related stories

• Text-message hoax threatens death by Wal-Mart (20 March 2009)
• Windows Mobile on iPhone a cruel joke? (14 October 2008)
• Junkie sues pusher over heart attack (11 January 2008)
• Florida cops issue shock 'Butthash' warning (6 November 2007)
• NSFW Belgian bj politico reneges on election pledge (23 May 2007)