Police hunting schoolboy, 7, find child's body on building site just half a mile from his home: Conley vanished from park where he had been playing with friends
Conley Thompson, pictured left with his mother Paula, had not
been seen since last night, when he set off for home after meeting
friends in Locke Park in Barnsley. His disappearance prompted a huge
police search, but this morning officers revealed that they had
discovered a body at a building site, just half a mile from Conley's
home in the Worsbrough area of the town. South Yorkshire police said the
body was found at approximately 8.30am and although formal
identification is yet to take place, it is believed to be that of Conley
and his family have been told. Today, forensic officers were searching
the building site, while members of the public brought floral tributes
which they handed to police to lay at the scene.
Tragedy as police find body in search for missing schoolboy, 7, who vanished from park after going to play with his friends
- Conley Thompson from Barnsley was last seen in the town's Locke Park
- He had gone to play with friends at 6pm and left for home at around 8pm
- But Conley never arrived at his home in Worsbrough, two miles from park
- Police looking for Conley found body on construction site near his home
Police
searching for a missing seven-year-old who vanished from a park where
he had been playing with friends have found a body.
Conley Thompson had not been seen since last night, when he set off for home after meeting friends in Locke Park in Barnsley.
His
disappearance prompted a huge police search, but this morning officers
revealed that they had discovered a child's body at a building site, not
far from Conley's home in the Worsbrough area of the town.
Police
searching for missing seven-year-old Conley Thompson, pictured with his
mother Paula, said today that they had found a body on a building site
Neighbours said that Conley, who was
an only child, was 'really popular and had lots of friends', adding that
his mother would be devastated by what had happened
South
Yorkshire police said the body was found at approximately 8.30am and
although formal identification is yet to take place, it is believed to
be that of Conley.
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The boy's family, including his mother Paula, have been informed and they are being supported by specialist officers.
Police
say they are treating the death as unexplained at this time and a
spokesman was unable to say if there were any suspicious circumstances.
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Forensic officers search the spot
where the body was discovered this morning. Police say they are treating
the death as 'unexplained'
Police said they had found a body at a building site (pictured), around half a mile from Conley's home
Police announced this morning that
they had found a body on a construction site in Bank End Road, which is
around half a mile from Conley's home in Underwood Avenue, and a mile
and a half from the park
Conley is believed to have met his
friends in Lock Park, Barnsley (pictured) at around 6pm, and had set off
for home at around 8pm
A post mortem examination is expected to take place in the coming days.
Detective
Inspector 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.
This police officer appeared to be
overcome with emotion as she took flowers from members of the public to
lay at the site near where the child's body was found
'While
it is early in the investigation, the death is being treated as
unexplained and a post-mortem will take place in due course.
'Our thoughts remain with Conley's family and friends at this very difficult time.'
Conley
had gone to meet his friends in Locke Park in Barnsley yesterday
evening, spending two hours with them before leaving to go home at
around 8pm.
But
the youngster failed to arrive back home, which is around two miles - a
40 minute walk - from the park, and was reported missing a short while
later.
Police
launched a widespread search for Conley, who was wearing a blue checked
shirt, red shoes and brown trousers when he disappeared.
Around 50 officers had spent the night searching for missing Conley, with extra staff drafted in to help look for him.
A
police helicopter was also deployed as part of the search efforts,
while this morning the search was concentrated at the building site,
which is around half a mile from Conley's home and less than two miles
from the park.
The construction site is believed to be for a new residential development.
The
road around the building site at Bank End Road had been sealed off by
police, and forensic experts were seen working within the cordon while
people started to bring floral tributes and soft toys to leave nearby.
A
police car was also parked outside Conley's home this morning, and two
officers flanked the door of the semi-detached house where only child
Conley lived with Ms Thompson, who neighbours said was a full-time
mother.
This morning the search was
concentrated at the building site, which is around half a mile from
Conley's home and less than two miles from the park
South Yorkshire police had been searching throughout the night for Conley, drafting in extra officers to help look for him
Women bring
bouquets of flowers to leave outside the building site in tribute to
the youngster after police announced they had found a body
A friend of Ms Thompson said: 'I'm devastated.
'I heard the news this morning. I just feel for Paula. She must be beside herself.
'He was a little angel, bless him. He loved playing outdoors.
'He was just like any other boy his age, doing all right at school.
'He was really popular and had lots of friends of all ages. I have four kids and he used to play with them.
'He was such a sweet kid.'
A police officer takes floral tributes
from members of the public to lay at the spot close to where a child's
body was discovered this morning
People had also brought soft toys to
leave at the scene (pictured). Neighbours described Conley as a 'sweet
kid' who loved playing outdoors
Finlay Bolton, 4, and his father Wayne (left) prepare to leave flowers near to the construction site today
Little Finlay places his flowers with
the growing pile of tributes. His father says the family had heard
police helicopters searching for Conley last night
John
Wright, another neighbour, said that he had spoken to police looking for
the seven-year-old last night, and told them to search the building
site and the schoolboy had previously been warned about playing there.
'Police came round last night asking and my kids told them he might be playing at the construction site,' he said.
'They said they'd looked but not found him. I'm telling you they should have found that bairn last night.
Neighbours said Conley had previously been warned about playing on building sites
'How can someone not be there then suddenly be there. It's a disgrace.'
Mr Wright said Conley sometimes used to play on the construction site and had been warned not to in the past.
South Yorkshire Police are yet to comment on the allegations.
Mr Wright added: 'He used to come and play round my house with my kids. He were [sic] a lovely lad just like any other his age.
'He played with all the kids in the area. They had little scraps and fights and things just like kids do.
'I know his mother and she must be devastated.'
Writing
on Twitter, a user called Brett said he used to live near the area and
that children regularly play on the site where Conley was found.
He
said he 'can't imagine what the family are going through', and added :
'I will say this about the spot where Conley Thompson was found, it is a
dangerous place to play but kids do. I was knocked unconscious there.'
Conley's babysitter, Kim Burns described the schoolboy as a 'mint little lad'.
'We used to take him to the park, he was playing football all the time,' she told ITV News.
'He used to make up his own football teams.'
Other neighbours have expressed their shock and grief at the news that a body had been found.
One
woman, who did not want to be named, said: 'I don't know the family but
this is a close-knit area and word spreads like wildfire.
'I just can't believe it, it's so sad. I feel terrible for them.'
Another woman said: 'I can't imagine what the family must be going through. It's just unbelievable.
'He was just a kid who liked playing out in the street.'
One man, who also did not want to give a name, said: 'It's so sad. The whole community is in shock.'
South
Yorkshire police said a child's body was found at approximately 8.30am
and although formal identification is yet to take place, it is believed
to be Conley
Cheryl
Dunning, whose son Evan, seven, was friends with Conley and in the year
above him at school described the discovery of the body as 'sad, very
sad.'
She added: 'It makes it worse because he's the same age (as her son) and everyone knew him."
Kelsey
Heeley, 17, who lives near the construction site, said: 'I can't really
put into words how people are feeling because you don't know.
'I
heard that he went missing yesterday on Facebook and then on television
this morning one of my family rung me and said: "Is there anything
happening on your street?"
'It's heartbreaking, because he's a young boy. It would be heartbreaking if it were anybody but he had his life to come.'
Reverend
Trevor Keightley, vicar at the nearby St Thomas' Church in Worsbrough,
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.
'Everyone's feeling it at the moment and everyone is very upset about it all.
'There was lots of people on Facebook and others going out to look for him, so people were very concerned for him.'
The church will be open tomorrow and Wednesday as a book of condolences is opened for Conley's family.
Wayne
Bolton was one of those who laid a bunch of flowers at the building
site this morning, going with his son, Finley, four, in order to pay
his respects.
Formal identification is yet to take place, however the body found is believed to be that of Conley
The road around the building site at
Bank End Road had been sealed off by police, and forensic experts were
seen within the cordon
Forensic experts comb the construction site looking for clues regarding Conley's disappearance
The building site was sealed off this morning, with workers having to down tools as police searched the site
He said the first he heard was the helicopter being used to search for the boy on Sunday night.
Mr
Bolton said: 'We are not friends with the family, but 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.
'It
was such a tragic accident, hopefully, and we just want to show support
for the family and to be fair the whole community has turned up. 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.'
This
morning, prior to the discovery of the body, the headteacher of
Worsbrough Bank End Primary School - which is not far from Conley's home
- urged parents to help raise awareness about his disappearance.
Nichola
Thorpe wrote on the school's Facebook page: 'Dear families, can you
help? Conley is missing since last night (Sunday) and the police are
looking for him.
'We pray that he is safe and has stayed with friends. Please share and spread the word to get him home safe and well.'
The post was later removed from the school's Facebook page.
Conley had gone to meet his pals in Locke Park (pictured) yesterday evening, spending two hours with them
The large park where Conley vanished from is around a 40-minute walk from his home
This morning, Nichola Thorpe, the
headteacher of Worsbrough Bank End Primary School - which is not far
from Conley's home - urged parents to help raise awareness about his
disappearance
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