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| Conley Thompson died after 'slipping into pipe' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A missing seven-year-old boy who was found dead on a construction site in South Yorkshire slipped into a vertical plastic pipe, his grandmother has said. | |
| South Yorkshire Police said formal identification of the child's body was yet to take place, but it was believed to be Conley Thompson. | |
| He was found at about 08:30 BST in Bank End Road in Worsbrough, Barnsley. | |
| His grandmother Deborah Fraser said the family were "shell-shocked" by his death. | |
| "You know it was raining, he slipped and went straight down. I hate to think what his little mind was going through." | |
| "We know that he's got through a small hole in top of the construction site, and because it's been wet he's slid down and gone into a vertical pipe. | |
| "It's not even sunken in now that he's gone. I'm stood next to the place where he died and I'm thinking 'what the hell were you doing Conley in a place like this?' | |
| "His brain must have been all over the place trying to get out." | |
| Playing in park | Playing in park |
| Conley, of Underwood Avenue in Worsbrough near Barnsley, was last seen in Locke Park - a 40-minute walk from home - at about 20:00 BST on Sunday. | Conley, of Underwood Avenue in Worsbrough near Barnsley, was last seen in Locke Park - a 40-minute walk from home - at about 20:00 BST on Sunday. |
| He had gone to play with friends at the park and was due to return home, but police were alerted about two hours later when he did not turn up. | He had gone to play with friends at the park and was due to return home, but police were alerted about two hours later when he did not turn up. |
| Officers were understood to be treating the death as a "tragic accident", the Press Association said. | |
| Mrs Fraser said: "He's been known to go in there [the construction site] before and we've told him not to go in. | |
| "[His mother] is devastated, we all are. We will all miss him, he was a lovely little lad." | |
| Det Insp Victoria Short, leading the investigation, said: "We deployed our full resources with officers searching throughout the night to find Conley and we are deeply saddened by this tragic development. | Det Insp Victoria Short, leading the investigation, said: "We deployed our full resources with officers searching throughout the night to find Conley and we are deeply saddened by this tragic development. |
| "While it is early in the investigation, the death is being treated as unexplained and a post-mortem [examination] will take place in due course. | |
| "Our thoughts remain with Conley's family and friends at this very difficult time." | "Our thoughts remain with Conley's family and friends at this very difficult time." |
| Mrs Fraser went to the construction site where his body was found to pay tribute to her grandson. | |
| "As a person he was a lovely little lad, boisterous, got into anything and everything but his smile could light up a room," she said. | |
| "He loved dinosaurs, he loved Ninja Turtles, he was just a typical lad... He loved his life. He was a happy little chap." | |
| Flowers and tributes have been left at the site. | |
| Wayne Bolton, who went to lay flowers with his four-year-old son Finley, said he heard a helicopter being used to search for Conley on Sunday night. | Wayne Bolton, who went to lay flowers with his four-year-old son Finley, said he heard a helicopter being used to search for Conley on Sunday night. |
| "It's tragic what's happened and it just makes you appreciate what you have. I can't begin to imagine what that family are going through," he said. | "It's tragic what's happened and it just makes you appreciate what you have. I can't begin to imagine what that family are going through," he said. |
| "It's shocked everyone and everyone is in bits and luckily, in an area like this, everyone comes together and we all help each other." | "It's shocked everyone and everyone is in bits and luckily, in an area like this, everyone comes together and we all help each other." |
| Cheryl Dunning, whose seven-year-old son Evan was friends with Conley and in the year above him at school, said the discovery of his body was "very sad". | Cheryl Dunning, whose seven-year-old son Evan was friends with Conley and in the year above him at school, said the discovery of his body was "very sad". |
| "It makes it worse because he's the same age [as her son] and everyone knew him," she said. | "It makes it worse because he's the same age [as her son] and everyone knew him," she said. |
| Evan said they both used to play football together and described him as "a bit naughty". | Evan said they both used to play football together and described him as "a bit naughty". |
| Kelsey Heeley, 17, who lives near the construction site, said: "It's heartbreaking, because he's a young boy. It would be heartbreaking if it were anybody but he had his life to come." | Kelsey Heeley, 17, who lives near the construction site, said: "It's heartbreaking, because he's a young boy. It would be heartbreaking if it were anybody but he had his life to come." |
| A book of condolence is to open at the nearby St Thomas' Church. | A book of condolence is to open at the nearby St Thomas' Church. |
| Vicar Rev Trevor Keightley said: "We are all shocked and all our hearts go out to the family and our thoughts and prayers are with them at this time." | |
| "There were lots of people on Facebook and others going out to look for him, so people were very concerned for him." | "There were lots of people on Facebook and others going out to look for him, so people were very concerned for him." |