A Kent girl who almost died after taking just half an ecstasy pill has spoken out against recommendations to reclassify ecstasy from a Class A to a Class B drug.

She was speaking as the government vowed ecstasy would not be downgraded from a Class A to Class B drug.

That was despite a review of the effects of the dance drug by Professor David Nutt, published today.

Sarah Phillips, 25, from Herne Bay, took the drug on holiday in Ibiza in 2001.

She said: "I was in bed for the next week and a half of my holiday.

"I was very weak so just tried to drink lots of water. When I got back my mate told me I looked jaundiced and rushed me straight to hospital."

Four months later, Sarah was diagnosed with acute liver failure because of the ecstasy, and doctors gave her a three per cent chance of staying alive if they were unable to find a new liver.

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Fortunately, Sarah was given a replacement in time and was able to leave hospital four weeks later - during this time her weight had plummeted by five stone.

Sarah has never taken drugs since and has spent the past few years making other young people in her area aware of the dangers of taking the drug.

She is shocked at the news the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs will recommend for the pill to be downgraded.

Currently, Ecstasy is grouped with heroin, crack, cocaine and LSD and the council believes that drug is not as harmful as others in the category.

As a result, it is expected to ask for further research in its effects.

Sarah said she agrees that it is less harmful than other drugs in the category, but doesn't think this is a good enough reason for reclassifying it.

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She said: "I don't think it should be, because it all depends on what the drug is cut with. Obviously I had a dodgy one, but if they drop it down more people are going to want to do it because it's not that illegal. If it's not a class A anymore then you're going to have more cases like I had of a liver transplant and I just don't think it's worth the risk."

The Home Office is has said it will reject any proposals for reclassification.