Archie York’s mum backs campaign against illegal cannabis factories after Newcastle explos

January 12, 2026

‘No family should go through what we have’

29 minutes ago

Carol Malia,BBC Look Northand

Jason Arunn Murugesu,North East and Cumbria

The mother of a seven-year-old boy killed in an explosion at a block of flats has said she wants to “help people” just like her son did.

Archie York died in the blast, caused by an illegal cannabis factory operating from the property below, in Benwell, Newcastle, in October 2024.

Newcastle City Council has approved the publication of a document, backed by Archie’s parents Katherine Errington and Robbie York, which details his story and tips on spotting what are known as cannabis “shatter” factories.

Reece Galbraith was jailed for 14 years in June for causing the explosion, which also killed 35-year-old Jason Laws.

The blast stemmed from a build-up of butane created in the process of making drug-infused sweets by both men, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

They were using the ground-floor flat in Violet Close, in a block of 12 homes, to make the so-called cannabis shatter. Described as a “sophisticated” factory, it exploded at about 00:40 BST on 16 October.

Family handout Archie York, with short brown hair, pictured smiling, wearing a red T-shirt with the word Levi's in white lettering. He has his arms folded and has short dark hair and a broad smile.

Archie’s mum said she had backed the initiative because she wanted to prevent similar explosions in the future.

“Archie was a seven-year-old boy but he always helped everybody out and that’s what I live for,” she said.

“I want to help people like what Archie did… I don’t want any family to go through what we have.”

The document details how the schoolboy had been asleep with his dad on the sofa when the explosion occurred, while his mum was asleep with their newborn son Finley in the other room.

“I just woke up to this large screech in my ear,” she said. “As soon as I opened my eyes all I could see was darkness… it was awful… I kept going in and out of consciousness.”

She was pulled out of the rubble, along with Finley, by her partner and a neighbour but they could not find Archie.

“Then we got the information that they’d found Archie’s body… he was gone,” she said.

Supplied Archie York, with short brown hair, wearing a black and blue jacket, cuddles Katherine Errington's baby bump. Robbie York is to Katherine's right, holding her side. She wears a sash containing the words mummy to be.

In the report, Archie’s dad said Galbraith and Laws had “no thought for the risk” they were putting their neighbours at.

Cannabis “shatter” is a brittle substance containing a high concentration of the psychoactive compound THC.

The council said it was often made with highly flammable butane gas, more than 100 bottles of which were recovered from the wreckage at Benwell.

The block of properties was later demolished, with 81 adults and 59 children from 51 homes displaced. Ten households had to be permanently rehomed.

Damage and costs to Newcastle City Council were put at £3.7m.

PA Media An aerial shot of a terraced house which has its roof caved in and has been destroyed, with debris and possessions strewn across gardens and the street. Firefighters can be seen among the rubble.

Now that the campaign has been approved by the local authority, it hopes to share the document to housing officers and social workers across the country.

Unlike typical cannabis farms, “shatter” factories do not usually smell like the plant, the local authority said.

Other signs include unusual ventilation set-ups, frequent visitors at odd hours and discarded materials such as empty solvent cans.

“We want to turn a negative situation into a positive one,” Archie’s mum added.

“Archie always wanted to help people and that’s my main goal.”

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