The gel it is increasingly being stolen by alcoholics desperate for a drink.

Now, after at least 10 thefts in the past year, Lewisham Hospital in South London has removed the bottles of cleanser from its public corridors and is restricting supplies to wards only.

The move comes as Southwark Coroner's Court, also in South London, heard that two Eastern European vagrants died within days of each other after drinking a brew based on Spirigel handwash, which is 70 per cent alcohol.

Tomas Sajdak, 38, from Ukraine, was found dead by friends in a south London squat on February 28.

Then, just four days later, Oleh Wowczyshyn, 29, collapsed and died in a nearby underground car park.

A post-mortem on the bodies of the two men found traces of the fluid, which contains 70 per cent ethanol.

Detective Constable Nainesh Desai said the deaths were caused by drinking 'hospital fluids'.

Spirigel Alcohol Hand Gel is made by Ecolab of Leeds, Yorkshire. The firm's website says it is effective against a broad range of harmful bacteria and that a 'bittering agent' has been added to it.

This gives it an unpalatable, bitter taste 'which should prevent anyone drinking it.'

Petra Salva, outreach services manager for homeless charity Thamesreach, said she was aware that some homeless people had used the gel.

She said: 'It is something that has come into our radar. We have been looking into it ourselves over the last three months.

'We have started to get reports of this from speaking to people sleeping rough and from police who have met people with bottles.

'We will be working with hospitals and trying to alert people to the dangers of drinking the gel. It is a horrible way to die. Sleeping on the streets is dangerous enough.'

Submitted on 08/12/2008

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: This Is London (Evening Standard) 12/08/08

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
Despite a "bittering" agent these guys still drank the stuff? They certainly should have known better. Thanks! (Here's a link to an article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1043760/Hospitals-alert-drinkers-steal-high-alcohol-hand-gels-used-battle-superbugs.html)

Candi said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
They may have added something to make it taste better. But those bottles are always marked something along the lines of "not for human consumption". Get a clue, people!