Man 28, who spends £75 a week on energy drinks suffers heart attack after downing 8 cans of Red Bull

An insurance worker who became addicted to energy drinks suffered a heart attack after drinking eight cans of Red Bull in a row.

Martin Bowling says he was hooked on the drinks for seven years and spent around £75 on them a week.

The 28-year-old has now told how he collapsed at The Bull pub in Romford, Essex and warned the drinks are 'death in a can'.

Mr Bowling, of Little Wakering, Essex, was rushed to hospital in June this year after drinking around two litres of Red Bull.

He said: 'There was no warning signs, I don't know if it hurt, I just remember hitting the floor and waking up in hospital.

'I was later told a stranger brought me back to life and I have never had the chance to thank them. I would love to meet them. I feel lucky and extremely thankful to be alive.'

Mr Bowling fears it is easy to become addicted to the drinks because they are cheap and sold almost everywhere.

He said: 'I had been drinking them for about seven years and it was like I had become mentally addicted.

'Sometimes I could find myself in arguments if I hadn't had one.

'The amount I was drinking was slowly increasing since I started when I was 21.

'I would wake up and think of an energy drink then go to sleep after an energy drink - they helped me sleep.

'Even when doctors told me high caffeine levels were the cause, I still wanted a can. It was ridiculous.

'When I was a kid you would buy sweets with spare change - now you see children buying 35p energy drinks - people need to be extremely careful.'

Daily Mail