A 12-year-old boy has been "left to die" after being tricked into drinking something that his mother believes was laced with bleach.

Ronnie Phillips was left in an induced coma after sneaking out of the house with his younger brother to meet some other children.

It was here that the other children gave Ronnie the drink, which he took as he thought it was alcohol.

Ronnie's heartbroken mother Danielle Potter told SussexLive that her son collapsed and his brother was screaming for help as he thought he died.

“I just want to make people realise the dangers of drink, drugs, playing stupid games and running away leaving a child to die,” Danielle told the publication.

“Kids will be kids but this sort of stuff is just ridiculous and dangerous”.

Sharing her son’s experience online as a warning, Danielle added: “What my 12-year-old thought would be a laugh and a bit of fun with his mates has resulted with him like this in a coma, a machine breathing for him and in ICU.”

His grandmother posted an update to the GoFundMe page updating people about Ronnie's condition.

“This is my 12 year old grandson who is autistic. On Friday night some older children tricked him into drinking bleach and the result was him having to be put in a induced coma!” Tracey Willmor wrote.

“He is now awake but can’t understand why no one likes him and would do this to him when he thought they was his friends! I want to show him that people do care and are not all nasty”

Ronnie has since recovered and is due to return home soon.