A level student hanged himself after throwing party at his parents' home which left the property damaged, inquest hears

An A level student hanged himself after throwing a party at his parents' home which left the property damaged, an inquest heard.

Luke Taylor, 16, had been allowed to host a group of 20 friends to mark his 17th birthday but his mother returned from a trip to the cinema to find the property in a mess.

The teenager offered to pay for damage to a ceiling and helped clear up the rest of the property. But 24 hours later, he was found dead outside his bedroom when his grandmother arrived at the house to drop off a birthday badge.

Police spoke to friends who attended the youngster's party on May 5 this year and examined his mobile phone but found no issues relating as to why he would take his own life. At an inquest, a coroner said she could not be sure he intended to kill himself.

Mr Taylor - a Year 12 pupil studying history, business and economics at Cheadle sixth form college in Stockport, Greater Manchester - was described as a "polite, quiet young man who was popular with his peers and never seen without a smile on his face."

His mother Caroline, a hospital worker at The Christie, told the Stockport hearing: "Luke's death has been a terrible shock to me, his dad and the rest of the family. We didn't think he was depressed about anything, we thought he had a good stable life, he had things to look forward to. We were worried something happened at the party, but there is nothing we have heard from anyone to suggest he had been.

"We just can't understand why he's done this. He never tried to do anything like that before. His family loved him very much, I wish I could understand what happened that day.”

Recording a narrative conclusion Stockport Coroner Alison Mutch said: " What has come across to me is he was an incredibly nice child and incredibly popular and kind person. He was a child who nobody had any concerns about, who seemed to be perfectly happy.

"There had been a party at the home address but that party was no different to another other party held by a child of 17 and it seemed to be a little bit boisterous. But he had never been in trouble with anyone and there is absolutely nothing to suggest he had taken anything inappropriate.

“I cannot be sure he intended to take his own life."