THE devastated parents of a 23-year-old woman who died after taking 'deadly' Valium tablets are now warning other families of the dangers.

Grief-stricken Carl and Manuela Nordmann are speaking out only weeks after her death to try to stop another tragic loss of life.

Mum-of-one Jacqueline was found dead in her Kelly Street flat in October after taking the drug known on the street as 'blues'.

Her dad told the Tele that he hopes that they can help save someone else's life in her memory.

But they are also calling for action to toughen up sentencing of dealers in a bid to take the danger drugs off the streets.

Former police office and US military man Carl, aged 57, from the Wellpark Buildings, said: "The valium that they are selling on the streets are killing people and you can buy 20 for £5. Something needs to be done about it.

"As far as I know it has been the cause of a number of deaths.

"We will never get our daughter back but if we can save one life by speaking out them it will be worth it. I want to warn parents about these drugs. People need to know what is going on.

"I will spend the rest of my life going into schools to speak to children and to warn them.

"No parent should ever have to lose their daughter like this."

Carl and Manuela were told by the police that Jacqueline was dead on October 16, after taking Valium. The family are still waiting on a toxicology report.

She has left behind her four year old son Jordan Lee.

Recalling the events of the day Carl said: "We had been watching Jordan and we had been trying to get a hold of her all day. Then the police came to our door. She had been found dead at 7pm but I think she was lying in the flat.

"I am racked with both guilt and grief."

Carl told how Jacqueline had felt lonely after the birth of her son and had fallen in with the wrong people.

He added: "She had started to smoke weed and we tried to get her to change. But we had no idea she was taking Valium."

Jacqueline had completed a hospitality course at college and had moved on to study painting and decorating.

Her dad said: "Jacqueline was a beautiful girl. She was such a loving and caring daughter.

"She wanted a better life for her and Jordan. She doted on Jordan. A few weeks before she died, I was in hospital with chest pains. She kept telling me I needed to get better.

"I asked her to promise that she would makes changes for Jordan."

Carl, originally from the US had moved with his family, wife Manuela, sons Jonathan and Nikolas from Germany nine years ago to work in IBM.

He said: "We came for a better life."

The family had recovered from an earlier set back when six years ago they had lost out on a Euro millions jackpot, after Carl had failed to put on his regular lines.

He spoke to the Tele at the time about the terrible impact of losing out on £108 million pounds.

Both Carl and Manuela, aged 48, who is German, both suffer from severe mental health problems including anxiety and depression.

Heartbroken Manuela said: "I would exchange my life for Jacqueline's. I would rather not be here and she would have lived. I waited so long for a daughter. She was my world. Now she is gone.;"

They are now focusing on helping to raise Jordan.

Carl added: "The worst thing I have ever had to do it tell a four year old boy his mum is not coming home.

"He had lost a dog through health problems before so he understood what it meant to die.

"His face just turned to stone."

But in their daughter's memory Carl and Manuela also want to see changes to the justice system.

Carl said: "These dealers can sell drugs that kill people and then they are back out on the streets a couple of years later. They need to get tougher and find a way to keep them off the streets. I also think the police should have more powers to stop and search known drug dealer. Something needs to be done.