Coroner writes to eBay after poison death in Wiltshire

“Evidence at the inquest suggested that it would not be possible for a mail order business to make such checks,” he said.

“Reference during the inquest was made to eBay’s hazardous materials policy and it was seen that reportable poisons in concentrated form were not included in the list of prohibited items.

“In my opinion, action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe your organisation has the power to take such action.”

Speaking after the inquest concluded in April, the Dearden family expressed their hopes that no one else would have to go through a similar experience.

“Alice’s mental health difficulties were treatable. She had recently turned 19 when she died, and was very vulnerable,” they said.

“We call on online marketplaces, such as eBay, to ensure that sellers of harmful substances carry out all required checks before any sale is completed, so that the law is upheld and vulnerable people are protected.”

Lawyer Will Whitaker, of Bindmans, who represented the family said it was “shocking that it remains so easy for a person like Alice to access fatal poisons via online marketplaces”.

“It is hoped that the report sent to eBay in this case will go some way to addressing that.” he said.

A spokesperson for eBay said the substance had been banned from sale on its platform for “many years”.

The spokesperson said: “The sale of all poisons, including the substance in question, are prohibited under our hazardous materials policy, and have been for many years.

“We use a number of measures, including block filter algorithms and AI-supported monitoring, to help prevent their sale.

“We remain absolutely committed to preventing the sale of dangerous substances on our platform and will continue working closely with regulators to strengthen our efforts in this area.”

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can find support through BBC Action Line.