St John Ambulance volunteers who saved the lives of two partygoers after a day of

festivities in Brighton and Hove today reinforced warnings on the dangers of taking drugs.

The ambulance service volunteers were on duty at Pride, the annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) event attracted 120,000 people into Brighton and Hove on August 6 for the flamboyant carnival and one-day festival which continues at scores of parties throughout the city.

Despite the massive numbers of people enjoying Pride, only 115 casualties were treated by St John Ambulance staff during the day, fewer than at previous events.

But the number of serious casualties increased, including two people whose lives were in serious danger because of drug abuse.

St John Ambulance said the two patients stopped breathing after taking a drug which may have been ketamine.

It has become a popular drug on the party scene but Government drug information sources say ketamine is a short-acting but powerful general anaesthetic with strong hallucinogenic qualities.

It can seriously suppress breathing and heart function and is very dangerous when mixed with other drugs or even alcohol.

It can also cause dangerously high blood pressure when taken with drugs such as ecstasy or amphetamines.

If high enough doses are taken, the anaesthetic effect can result in death from inhaling vomit.

One of the victims who went into respiratory arrest had to be "bagged" for 20 minutes - a paramedic team artificially breathed for the patient to prevent brain damage.

St John Ambulance receive a fee from the organisers for providing medical care at Pride, now one of the leading free LGBT events in the UK.

The festival generates several million pounds for the Brighton and Hove economy.

But volunteers and doctors, nurses and paramedics paid by St John Ambulance to cover the event spend more than 12 hours almost non-stop helping the public.

Terry Wing, who was the lead officer for St John Ambulance on the day, believes staff saved at least two lives.

Mr Wing said: "I'm very happy and impressed with the high levels of safety Pride ensures are in place on the day.

"It's a shame that some people who attend the event do not do the same and fail to look after themselves, particularly with drug use."

Mr Wing made is clear that none of the injuries were related to the Pride events, which fully complied with health and safety regulations.

St John Ambulance also had to throw away part of a defibrillator away after one casualty covered it in vomit while recovering from respiratory arrest.

The machines, which are used to stimulate the heart in emergency situations, cost around £3,000.

Pride organisers declined to comment.