"We wouldn't let Conley go to park without an adult"

The family of tragic schoolboy Conley Thompson whose body was found on a building site have hit back at criticisms about the seven-year-old playing out unsupervised.

Conley went missing last month after telling his mother he was going to play with friends in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

His body was discovered the following day in a pipe on the building site in Worsbrough.

Initial reports suggested he had gone to play in Locke Park, a mile away from the site and about two miles away from his home, but police said they believe he may have gone elsewhere before entering the construction site.

In a statement released today by South Yorkshire Police, Conley's family said they would not have allowed him to visit the park alone and asked the public to be respectful and refrain from casting aspersions.

A post-mortem examination found that Conley died after becoming stuck in a vertical pipe on the building site. South Yorkshire Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

Detectives said they are investigating the young boy's movements on the day of his death and working with the Health and Safety Executive to find out how Conley entered the building site, which was securely locked with a large perimeter fence. Conley's funeral will be held next Tuesday, August 11, at 11.30am at St Thomas's Church in Worsbrough, Barnsley

His family said they had been overwhelmed by the support from across the UK since Conley's death and thanked people for their condolences.