Investigations are still being carried out by police after a 12-year-old Cardigan boy had to be treated in hospital following a suspected drugs overdose.

The boy's mother said her son is now living in terror of the pusher who supplied him with the drugs.

She has made an impassioned plea to the police and the local authority to either place the alleged drugs dealer in police custody or to remove him from the county.

"My son is a totally changed child," said the mother. "He's gone from being a very confident and outgoing child to someone who's virtually house-bound. "It's heartbreaking to see a 12-year-old boy living in absolute terror for his own safety and that of his siblings, who are all younger than him."

The mother claimed that after her son, a diabetic, was sold the life-threatening drugs he began vomiting blood while his temperature dropped dangerously low.

He also had difficulty breathing and had to be given oxygen on arrival at hospital. He was discharged from hospital three days later but only on condition that his blood was checked every two hours for two weeks to prevent a relapse.

Meanwhile, the boy and his family live in constant fear of a reprisal. Threats have been made towards the family.

"As a result my children are petrified. They religiously check the windows and doors up to four times before they fall asleep and they've even fixed wind chimes inside the doors so that we'll be warned if an intruder tries to get at us.

"I'm finding it very difficult to reassure my children that they're going to be alright. Our whole lives have been turned upside down by this evil man who almost killed my son and his friends by selling them drugs."