16/11/?? - Leah Club in Ecstasy probe
By NATASHA COOK

RAQUELS nightclub is under the spotlight after Ecstasy tablets, like the one that killed Leah Betts, were allegedly seen passing hands there. An anonymous caller to police claims she saw a girl buy a tablet from a young man at the club. Some time later she was violently ill. Video tapes of guests entering and leaving the Basildon club on Friday and Saturday are being examined by police. Officers don't believe the club's management were aware of the incident.

Meanwhile, seven people have been arrested in connection with the investigation.

Two men have been charged with intent to supply drugs. The two 19- year-olds, from Pitsea, are not charged in connection with supplying drugs to Leah. Det Chief Insp Brian Storey, who is leading the investigation, hopes the nightclub's video films will help piece together the disastrous chain of events which led to Leah's death. Police believe the Ecstasy tablet she took could have been bought at the club on the Friday night. It was passed onto Leah by a friend on Saturday.

An anonymous caller to Chelmsford police told officers that when she was at Raquels on Friday with a friend she saw a third girl buy a tablet from a young man. Some time later the third girl was violently ill. The club says it will co-operate fully with the investigation.

Mr Storey said: "This is a major breakthrough. "We are focusing on getting back as far as we can in the chain. We have spoken to the people at the party. "We want the caller, her friend and the third girl to come forward and we want to identify people in Raquels. Mr Storey did not think Raquels was aware of the incident on Friday.

Mike Sweepland, managing director of European Leisure which owns Raquels, was not available for comment. But on Tuesday he said: "We are not aware of drug dealing taking place on the premises. "European Leisure has a no-drugs policy. We take a lot of care and go to great lengths to train our managers and staff in the tell-tale signs and what to do about it." Five Ecstasy tablets were recovered in a dawn raid on Tuesday at four addresses in Pitsea, Vange and Basildon. Three tablets had a dove symbol and two had the apple logo that was on Leah's tablet.