The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has issued a warning about an industrial chemical used in pesticides and explosives which is unfit for human consumption but sold illegally on the internet for weight loss.

DNP (2,4-dinitrophenol) acts as a ‘fat burner’ by raising the metabolism to dangerous levels and has contributed to a significant number of deaths, as well as instances of serious harm to health in the UK.

Despite its dangers, DNP has gained in popularity among the fitness and bodybuilding communities. It has also been sold to consumers with eating disorders or body image concerns.

BBC 1's Victoria Derbyshire programme recently raised awareness of DNP, interviewing the father of a young woman who died after taking the drug, along with RPS President Ash Soni and the Food Standards Agency.

The FSA is reviving a social media campaign #DNPkills and the RPS says it will be supporting this and any measure to further restrict supplies of DNP.