An opera singer claims he almost died after allegedly being given toxic caustic soda to drink in a pub "as a prank".

Alan Costigan, 42, says he started spitting up blood and suffered burns to his mouth, throat, gullet and stomach when he drank the substance - used to clean beer lines - at the Echo Pub in Old Road East, Gravesend.

But while the pub's insurers have admitted The Echo was "in breach of duty" and liable for the "accident", which happened in December 2017, a pub spokesman denied he was given the toxic fluid to drink on purpose.

The performer, however, who used to work in the pub and had just given the landlady a singing lesson, insists he was offered a new "red Ribena" by a barmaid and was told to "drink it down in one".

He said: "I was having a coffee, chatting to one of the regulars when the barmaid came up and said why didn’t I try this red Ribena? She said I should down it in one.

"I drank about half as it was a large amount in a glass that you would serve a vodka and coke in.

"As soon as I swallowed it I knew there was something radically wrong.
"It immediately burnt my throat and I could hear her laughing behind the counter and said it was beer line cleaner.

"I said 'what have you given me that for?'

"I immediately got a large glass of water and drank a lot but it wasn’t stopping the burning.

"I then started spitting up blood and I was really worried.

"When it went down it was like the hottest thing you could imagine in your throat. It was like I had been drinking molten lava.

"The pain was excruciating and like nothing I had ever felt before.

"I honestly thought it was all over for me.

"I thought she has given me something that was going to kill me.

"I couldn’t breathe properly and I was coughing up a lot of blood. I was in shock and I thought I was going to die.

"Where I was coughing up blood it was burning as it came up."

"I couldn’t breathe properly and I was coughing up a lot of blood. I was in shock and I thought I was going to die" - Alan Costigan

Mr Costigan, who is now pursuing legal action, says he staggered home a few hundred yards away before he called 111.

He added: "They said it was really serious and that I needed to speak to a poison doctor.

"They told me not to come to the hospital as they would send an ambulance straight to me.
"I thought I am dead, it’s over, I’m not going to make it to the hospital.

"When the paramedics arrived they said it was very serious but I should try to remain as calm as possible."

Mr Costigan claims the incident has ruined his career.

"I tried to do one gig since the incident and it was an absolute disaster," he said.

"From a vocal point of view this has destroyed my career.

"I have going from being able to sing on a stage in front of lots of people to not even being able to go out of the house.

"I'm a recluse, suffer from depression, and have had panic attacks."

He said his balance, nervous system and breathing had also been affected, adding: "I will never be the same again after what happened to me.

"This has ruined my life.

"Even if I was able to sing I don’t know if I will ever be well enough to perform again."

Mr Costigan has instructed personal injury specialists from Hodge Jones & Allen to take legal action against the pub.

Emma Hall, from Hodge Jones & Allen, who represents him, said: "My client's life has been devastated, all because a barmaid thought it would be funny to get him to drink a highly toxic and poisonous substance.

"The allegations have been vehemently denied other than one element, which was that a substance was made available to the public in error" - an Echo pub spokesman

"He has been left with severe psychological injuries as well as the physical trauma he has suffered as a result of consuming the beer line cleaner.

"In addition he has been unable to work since the incident and does not know what the long term effects are to his health.”

A spokesman for The Echo, who did not wish to be named, said: "The allegations have been vehemently denied other than one element, which was that a substance was made available to the public in error.

"The allegations have also been denied in a statement to the police, and no further action was taken.

"The barmaid denied that anything was done as a prank - she didn't say he should drink it. She wasn't aware that he had drunk it until afterwards.

They added: "Mr Costigan had worked in the pub so had far more knowledge than what has been portrayed.

"The pub's insurers have been waiting over a year for medical records and nothing has been forthcoming."

Police confirmed they had received a report of an assault related to the consumption of pipeline cleaner at The Echo, Gravesend, on December 1 2017.

They added: "Officers carried out a full and thorough investigation and arrested a woman in connection with the incident but there was insufficient evidence to proceed with a prosecution.

"The investigation has therefore been filed pending any further information coming to light."

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