Family pays tribute to 'beautiful soul' son whose body was found in a river in Greater Manchester

The family of a 'vulnerable' teenager who was found dead in a river in Greater Manchester say he was a "beautiful soul."

14-year-old Luke Howe, who had autism and learning difficulties, went missing from his grandparents home in Hale, on January 18th, 2024.

His body was discovered the next day by search teams in the River Bollin in Trafford.

Speaking exclusively to ITV Granada Reports, Luke's mum Liz Howe said, "It doesn't feel real still.

"He was just a beautiful, beautiful soul. So happy and loving, just a real character."

His dad, James Howe, said that the wait to find him when he disappeared was 'agony'.

But the family say they've taken great comfort in the outpouring of love and support shown to them from the local community.

"Just seeing the amount of people out looking for him, and then once the news came out that he'd been found, we were inundated with people asking how they could help."

Liz added, "It's just a comfort to know that he really did touch people and have an affect on their lives, he was just so special and it is lovely to know that other people thought that too."

Since Luke's body was found, thousands of pounds have been donated to a fundraising page set up by Luke's auntie Jessica and sister, Lydia.

The money, which currently stands at almost £50,000, will be used to build a soft play area at Luke's special needs school, Brentwood School and College.

James said, "Luke loved school and he was able to do a lot there that we couldn't do for him at home, and it's really good to know that it will go towards helping other children in Luke's position to get that joy out of life by being in school."

Brentwood School in Sale, where Luke was a pupil, have thanked his family for their fundraising campaign.

"We are all deeply saddened by Luke’s death. He was a much-loved student and such a huge personality in the Brentwood Community.

"The generosity of the thousands of people who have donated, leaving such caring and heart-warming messages, means that we will be able to create a lasting legacy to Luke in the form of a soft play/sensory regulation area which will be shared by all of our wonderful students at Brentwood.''

You can find out more about the fundraising page in Luke's memory here.

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