Fourteen children aged between 11 and 14 were arrested after a boy died in a fire at an industrial site.
Northumbria Police said a group of 11 boys and three girls were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after the incident in Gateshead on Friday. The minors remain in police custody.
Police were called to reports of a fire near Fairfield Industrial Estate in Bill Quay shortly after 8 p.m.
Emergency services attended the scene and the fire was soon extinguished.
Police then launched a search for Layton Carr, who was believed to have been in the area at the time of the fire. A police statement said that “sadly, following searches of the building, a body believed to be that of 14-year-old Layton Carr has been found.”
Layton’s next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers, the police added.
Northumbria Police Senior Inspector Louise Jenkins also said: “This is an extremely tragic incident which has sadly resulted in the death of a young boy.” She added that the police were “with Layton’s family as they try to cope with the loss of a loved one” and asked for their privacy to be respected.
The scene of the incident remains cordoned off.
