POLICE are carrying out a ‘difficult and traumatic’ investigation after an 11-year-old boy was found hanging in his room at a residential special school near Kendal.

Distraught pupils alerted staff after spotting Dylan McDonald’s body at the Appletree Treatment Centre, at Natland.

Teachers rushed to the youngster’s aid, but he died later at the Royal Lancaster Infir-mary.

A specially trained team of detectives from Cumbria Police is now probing the circum-stances of Dylan’s death and school inspectorate Ofsted said it was considering launching its own investigation once the police have finished their work.

Det Insp Geoff Huddleston, who is leading the inquiry, told The Westmorland Gazette he was ‘keeping an open mind’ about what led to the young-ster’s death.

“We have spoken to a few of the children and staff and interviews will continue.

“Until we have spoken with everybody, it’s too soon to comment on where we are with the investigation.”

Dylan, from Knowsley, Merseyside, spent the last three years at the care home, although he regularly saw his parents Peter and Sharon and his four brothers and sister.