THE PARENTS of a teenager who died after having an allergic reaction have said takeaways can do more to raise awareness of allergies.

Megan Lee, 15, a nut allergy sufferer, died from an asthma attack after she ate food from the Royal Spice takeaway in Oswaldtwistle, on New Year’s Day in 2017.

Both the takeaway owner Mohammed Abdul Kuddus, 40, and manager Harun Rashid, 38, have been jailed after being convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence.

Her mum and dad Adam and Gemma Lee, from Oswaldtwistle have now spoken out as new research shows more than half of allergy sufferers have had their lives put at risk by restaurant or takeaway staff.

Some 58 per cent of allergy sufferers said their potentially life-threatening allergies have been triggered by contaminated food despite being assured that it was safe to eat, according to the research from law firm Slater and Gordon.

People described struggling to breathe, being violently sick and enduring painful cramps, in the study of 1,000 food allergy sufferers.

And Mr and Mrs Lee, who have a son Owen, nine, say the figures show there is still much more that needs to be done to get businesses to be more allergy aware.

They have called for businesses to be inspected annually with more random spot checks and said staff should be better trained about allergies.

Mrs Lee has a shellfish allergy and said she was once asked by a restaurant to sign a disclaimer in case of a bad reaction. She said: “People with allergies should be taken more seriously by doctors and offered a referral straight away.

“We feel that businesses should be inspected annually with more random spot checks and staff should be better trained.

”Online platforms such as Just Eat are also in a very strong position to influence. They could set the standard and say ‘if you have not got an up-to-date hygiene rating then we are not letting you on.”

Since their daughter’s death, the pair have set about campaigning to make food businesses more responsible and look after their customers with allergies.

This included the pair making a video in conjunction with trading standards officers at Lancashire County Council and features treasured photos and video of the Oswaldtwistle schoolgirl growing up.

Along with people in the community, they have been raising money in Megan's memory.

It has seen £30,000 raised so far for the Anaphylaxis Campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of allergies.

Fundraising events have included fun runs and a skydive by her father Adam.

Mrs Lee said: “Something as simple as labelling could save lives. We know that if Megan’s food had arrived and it had stated on the box that it contained nuts then she would never have eaten it.

“It was a catalogue of failings that let her down and although I do think things are improving slightly, it’s nowhere near where it needs to be.”

Shane Smith, a lawyer at Slater and Gordon, described their research results as astonishing.

He said: “Most of us have a friend or loved one with a potentially fatal allergy, yet so many restaurants and takeaways still seem to regard it as being of little importance.

“Comments like 'it can’t be that bad' and 'it won’t hurt you this once' show just how much work is still needed to educate owners and staff about the very real dangers.

He added: “For those with an allergy it is not a choice but a serious condition which could kill them if ignored.”