THE parents of a teenager who died in Bury last year have said they should have been informed more about issues which he raised with his school.

Matthew Young, a pupil at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar, was found dead in a wooded area after walking out of school last September.

An inquest into the death of the 17-year-old is taking place at Rochdale Coroner’s Court this week.

The hearing was told previously that Matthew had been encountering difficulties with his mental health for two years before his death and a safety plan was previously in place at school which would be acted on if he failed to turn up for a lesson.

Paul Reeves, who was deputy headteacher at the school at the time but has now retired, gave evidence about his interactions with the student.

The inquest was told that CPOMS, a software system for safeguarding issues, was being used in relation to him, where concerns would be logged and shared with relevant members of staff.

He was questioned about why concerns raised by Matthew during the lockdown period and logged on this system were not raised with his parents.

One entry included the youngster saying “life” was not good and he “could not sleep or talk to anyone.”

Jacquelyn Young, Matthew's mother said there was a “number of entries during lockdown” and there should have been a “check on Matthew’s wellbeing” by a phone call to them.

Mr Reeves said: “It is difficult to answer the question, hindsight is wonderful thing.”

Mrs Young said: “No it’s torturous actually.”

Ian Young, the teen's father, asked why his son’s request for a counsellor on the day he died and two days earlier were not granted.

He asked: “Would you have made it a priority to have spoken to him?” if his son had approached him at the time.

Mr Reeves said: “Matthew would walk into my office, we would have a conversation” and said he could have not attended the next lesson, which would have made staff aware there was a problem.

The inquest also heard from Samuel Heald, a physics teacher who taught Mr Young on the day he left school for the last time.

He said the 17-year-old, whose difficulties he was aware of, had not spoken to him coming into class and has sat by himself.

He added that due to Covid restrictions and social distancing he did not feel able to raise concerns with the teenager, but later logged on the CPOM systen that he “did not engage with me” and “barely did any work.”

Mr Heald said when he spoke to another physics teacher, who had the student for the subsequent lesson, he was told his “output” was greater in that class.

The inquest, before coroner Catherine Mckenna, continues.