The dangers of binge drinking were highlighted today after the birthday death of a teenager.

Mark Shields drank three pints of lager, five double whiskies and three double shots of liqueur in less than 40 minutes.He was found dead in bed by his father Graeme on the morning of his 18th birthday on April 7 this year at his home in Northumberland.

The teenager had been out with friends the night before at the Falcon Inn, West Wylam, Prudhoe, to celebrate the occasion.

To mark his birthday, friends brought him drinks including three pints of lager, five double whiskies and up to three double shots of the sweet liqueur Aftershock.

A toxicology report showed that Mark, a keen footballer, had 491mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit for driving is 80mg.

A spokeswoman from Alcohol Concern said: ''This tragic death demonstrates the horrific consequences that excess alcohol consumption can cause.

''Drinking too much can have a massive impact on the body, especially for young people.

''With new figures showing that 13 young people go to A and E every day as a result of binge-drinking, it is crucial that they are educated about the risks of drinking too much to enable them to make informed decisions.''

She added: ''Government recommends that men drink no more than three units of alcohol a day, and women no more than two a day.''

Friends of Mark told an inquest in Hexham that he was very drunk after downing all the alcohol within a 30 to 40 minute period.

After helping him out of the pub they put Mark in a car and took him to his home in Castle Close, Prudhoe.

His father, Graeme, 44, checked on him twice during the night but found him dead the next morning.

A post mortem examination showed the cause of death was acute alcohol poisoning.

A spokeswoman for South Northumberland and North Tyneside Coroner Eric Armstrong confirmed that the inquest was adjourned at the request of the family pending further inquiries.

Mark's death is the latest to be linked with binge drinking.

Milton Keynes Coroner Rodney Corner returned a verdict of accidental death after hearing that 19-year-old Matthew Loveday drank himself to death at a New Year's party.

He collapsed after drinking games at the party on December 31 at his rented house in Bletchley.

Last year, student Nicholas Ireland collapsed and died on a school trip to Hamburg, Germany, after binge drinking.

The 17-year-old choked on his own vomit after drinking heavily in a youth hostel bedroom. A coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.