Health officials say more attention should be paid to the alcohol industry after an 18-year-old girl drank liquid nitrogen on a night out and had to have her stomach removed.

Gaby Scanlon began feeling breathless after having the cocktail in Oscar's wine bar in Lancaster city centre on Thursday where she was thought to be celebrating her birthday.

Miss Scanlon developed severe stomach pain and was taken to Lancaster Royal Infirmary at around 11pm where she was diagnosed with a perforated stomach and taken for emergency surgery.

Lancashire Police say she remains in a serious but stable condition.

Paul Ashton, Director of Public Health for NHS Cumbria, has concerns pubs and bars are allowed to serve such a dangerous chemical.

"In some way, this example should focus our attention on what's going on with alcohol in this country. It's a disgrace you can have this trivial approach to dangerous substances," Mr Ashton said.

"You don't allow people to play chemistry, unless they know what they're doing, this is chemistry...

"When you put it in to a very strong alcohol base then it's going to go almost straight into the blood stream, that's what is going to happen when you mix those kind of things, it is very dangerous."