Layton Carr: Heartbroken family pay tribute to ‘cheeky, happy lad' killed in Gatehouse industrial estate fire
Layton Carr, 14, died after the blaze broke out near Fairfield industrial park in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, on Friday evening.
Fourteen children – aged between 11 and 14 – have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, Northumbria Police said.
In a statement, Layton's family said: 'Layton was such a kind, caring and loving boy. From the minute he was born it was obvious the character he would turn out to be.
'Layton was your typical 14-year-old lad, a cheeky, happy lad. Despite his cheeky side Layton had an absolute heart of gold and would do anything for anyone.
'He was loved by all that met him, and it showed. He was a family boy that loved his mam and sisters more than anything in the world.'
Police were alerted to reports of the fire on Friday shortly after 8pm. The fire was extinguished a short time later but fears were raised for the missing teenager, who was believed to have been in the area at the time.
Earlier, the schoolboy was remembered as a 'valued and much-loved' pupil by David Thompson, the head teacher of Hebburn Comprehensive School.
In a Facebook post, he spoke of the 'tragic loss of one of our pupils,' and added: 'Our school community is heartbroken.
'Layton was a valued and much-loved member of Year 9, and he will be greatly missed by everyone. We extend our sincere condolences to Layton's family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time. As a school, we will rally together to support one another through this tragedy.'
A police cordon was in place at the scene on Sunday and blue balloons in the shape of a number 14, along with floral tributes, were among the tributes placed by mourners.
One of the messages, pinned to a bunch of flowers, read: 'Thank you for brightening up our lives. You will be missed beyond words.'
Another message said: 'Rest in paradise, Layton. Always in our hearts. Fly high with the angels. Took too soon. Love you forever.'
Anyone who has information that could help the investigation has been urged to get in touch with Northumbria Police.
Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth said: 'My heartfelt condolences are with the family and friends of Layton Carr at this devastating time.
'I'm being kept updated regularly by the Chief Constable and her team and would like to thank all emergency services involved in the response and ongoing inquiries.
'I know this will have come as a shock to the Bill Quay community and I echo officer requests for anyone with information to please get in touch with Northumbria Police.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
7 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Vintage shop owner finds stash of drugs in pocket of 1990s Stone Island jacket
Kris Boyle made the bizarre discovery after buying a 1997 Stone Island jacket for his clothing store. A vintage shop owner was left stunned after he found drugs stashed in the pocket of a 1990s designer jacket. Kris Boyle, owner of the Dundee Sole store, in the city's Wellgate Shopping Centre, found the block of 'soap bar' hash after purchasing a Stone Island Raso Gommat jacket from 1997. He reckons the drugs had lay inside the garment for nearly 30 years. Kris, who opened the shop seven years ago, said: "The jacket came from one of our long standing vintage suppliers based in the south of England. "We work with them regularly to source unique and authentic pieces, and occasionally those pieces arrive with unexpected little time capsules hidden inside. "The jacket has since been sold to a customer, and it proved particularly popular after people heard about its unusual find." The discovery tops the list of strangest things he's found in vintage clothes - and is now proudly on display within his shop in the north east. The 37-year-old added: "The soap bar has been kept here at Dundee Sole as part of our small but growing collection of unusual discoveries. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. "We see it as a light hearted reminder of the charm and unpredictability of working with vintage clothing. "Over the years, we've uncovered a surprising number of unusual items hidden away in pockets, linings, and boxes. Many of them have been small snapshots of a moment in time. Ordinary objects, but frozen in the year they were left behind." Kris shared the rare find in a Facebook post. He wrote: "You find some funny things in the pockets of vintage jackets, my favourite finds truly are things that have been long forgotten. "This is hilarious!! Found in the pocket of a 90s stone island raso. There's nothing more nostalgic to someone from Scotland in the 90s than a bit of soap bar." The find went down well with customers, who flocked to the comment section to joke about the discovery. One posted: "The smell of that. I wish Yankee candle done one." Another said: "I once bought a Burberry golf jacket on EBay from a guy in Aberdeen, it had a £20 note in the inside pocket." A third joked: "Stick in the pocket of something n the shop, lucky dip style, that'll boost your sales." Another poster said: "The cause of many a ruined shell suit", while a fifth joker typed: "We all had asbestos thumbs and forefingers in the 90's." Another added: "You can't smell a picture." Kris told the Record of the other rare finds he's made while running the shop - finding everything from women's underwear to cinema tickets for 90s blockbusters. As well as a ticket from London's King's Cross Station, which he found in a jacket from the 70's, he also came across a cinema stub for the original Jurassic Park from July 1993.
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Anger and confusion as Meta overturns more Instagram account bans
Instagram users have told the BBC of their confusion, fear and anger after having their accounts suspended, often for being wrongly accused by parent company Meta of breaching the platform's child sex abuse months, tens of thousands of people around the world have been complaining Meta has been banning their Instagram and Facebook accounts in say they have been wrongly accused of breaching site rules - including around child sexual than 500 of them have contacted the BBC to say they have lost cherished photos and seen businesses upended - but some also speak of the profound personal toll it has taken on them, including concerns that the police could become acknowledged a problem with the erroneous banning of Facebook Groups in June, but has denied there is wider issue on Facebook or Instagram at has repeatedly refused to comment on the problems its users are facing - though it has frequently overturned bans when the BBC has raised individual cases with are some of the stories users have shared with BBC News. 'I put all of my trust in social media' Yassmine Boussihmed, 26, from the Netherlands, spent five years building an Instagram profile for her boutique dress shop in April, she was banned over account integrity. Over 5,000 followers, gone in an instant. She lost clients, and was devastated."I put all of my trust in social media, and social media helped me grow, but it has let me down," she told the week, after the BBC sent questions about her case to Meta's press office, her Instagram accounts were reinstated."I am so thankful," she said in a tearful voice note. Five minutes later, her personal Instagram was suspended again - but the account for the dress shop remained. Lucia, not her real name, is a 21-year-old woman from Austin, Texas. She was suspended from Instagram for just over two weeks for breaching Meta's policy on child sexual exploitation (CSE), abuse and with all the other cases, she was not told what post breached the platform's has left wondering if a picture she posted of herself and her 21-year-old friend wearing bikini tops somehow triggered the artificial intelligence (AI) moderation tools, as she thinks they "look a little bit younger".She also uses her account to interact with under 18s, such as sending Reels to her younger sister."It is deeply troubling to have an accusation as disgusting as this one," she told BBC News."Given that I have a desire to work in juvenile justice as an attorney and advocate on behalf of children, I am appalled to have been suspended for something I know I did not do and would never do."She appealed, and then about seven hours after the BBC highlighted Lucia's case to Meta's press office, her account was restored with no explanation. Over 36,000 people have signed a petition accusing Meta of falsely banning accounts; thousands more are in Reddit forums or on social media posting about central accusation - Meta's AI is unfairly banning people, with the tech also being used to deal with the appeals. The only way to speak to a human is to pay for Meta Verified, and even then many are has not commented on these claims. Instagram states AI is central to its "content review process" and Meta has outlined how technology and humans enforce its policies. A community torn away Duncan Edmonstone, from Cheshire, has stage four ALK+ lung cancer. The 55-year-old finds solace in the support network he has on private Facebook 12 days at the end of June, he was banned for breaking cybersecurity guidelines before being reinstated."The support groups are my lifeline, and there are actual examples of where advice from group members has made a difference to other patient's treatment," he said."I draw satisfaction and meaning, in a life that is probably going to be cut short, from helping other people in that group." Banned, unbanned - then banned again Ryan - not his real name - has been banned, reinstated, and banned again from Instagram over the past few former teacher from London was thrown off the platform in May after he was accused of breaching the CSE spent a month appealing. In June, the BBC understands a human moderator double checked and concluded Ryan had breached the his account was abruptly restored at the end of July."We're sorry we've got this wrong," Instagram said in an email to him, adding that he had done nothing was left flabbergasted. "'Sorry we called you a paedophile for two months - here is your account back,'" is how he characterised the tone of the that wasn't the end of the story. Hours after the BBC contacted Meta's press office to ask questions about his experience, he was banned again on Instagram and, for the first time, Facebook."I am devastated and I don't know what to do," he told the BBC."I can't believe it has happened twice."His Facebook account was back two days later - but he was still blocked from Instagram. Ryan says he has been left feeling deeply isolated - and worried the police are going to "knock on the door".His experiences mirrors those of other Instagram users who told the BBC of the "extreme stress" of having their accounts banned after being wrongly accused of breaching the platform's rules on CSE. What has Meta said? Despite taking action on Yassmine, Lucia and Ryan's accounts, Meta has not made any comment to the common with all big technology firms, it has come under pressure from authorities to make its platforms July, Meta said it was taking "aggressive action" on accounts breaking its rules - including the removal of 635,000 Instagram and Facebook accounts over sexualised comments and imagery in relation to wide-ranging policy on child sexual exploitation has changed three times since Boxing Day last year, with all amendments occurring since 17 July. It has not said what impact, if any, these changes had on the cases the BBC has raised with it. Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Wallet travelled 150,000 miles under Ford Edge's bonnet after it vanished 10 years ago
Richard Guilford lost his tri-fold leather wallet — stuffed with $15, his driver's licence and work ID — had turned up under the bonnet of a car in a repair shop in Lake Crystal, Minnesota A retired automotive employee was staggered after a wallet he lost more than 10 years ago turned up - having travelled more than 150,000 miles away under the bonnet of a car he had been working on. Richard Guilford lost his tri-fold wallet when he was assembling cars at a Ford factory in late 2014. He suspected it fell out of his shirt pocket and, though Richard searched 30 to 40 cars and his co-workers looked at dozens more, the leather accessory wasn't found. But last month, Richard received a message from a stranger on Facebook, claiming he had discovered the wallet — complete with the $15 (approximately £10), driver's licence, work ID and gift cards worth $275 (£200) inside - beside the engine of a Ford Edge. Chad Volk, a mechanic in Lake Crystal, Minnesota, described the find as "crazy" and was delighted to be able to post it to Richard, who lives some 700 miles away in Petersburg, Michigan. The Ford Edge, which a customer had left at Chad's repair shop, had 151,000 miles on the clock, all of which completed with the wallet wedged between the transmission and the air filter box. Speaking yesterday, Richard, 56, said: "It restores your faith in humanity that people will say, 'Hey, you lost this, I found this, I'm going to get it back to you'. Chad noticed Richard's Facebook profile listed his time at Ford, a role from which he retired only last year. Chad messaged a photo of the wallet and included the driver's licence. Richard, who has two sons, continued: "The amazing part to me was it was so protected. Think about this: 11 years, rain, snow. It was in Minnesota, for crying out loud. It was in Arizona when it was bought. Think about how hot a transmission gets in Arizona driving down the road. That's incredible." The dad said he will now treasure the wallet, which was a Christmas present in the early 2010s. The majority of the gift cards were for Cabela's, an outdoor retailer, which said they remain valid. Richard, a part-time auctioneer, also had lottery tickets in the wallet, but the numbers had worn away in the decade since he bought them. "I'm going to put everything back in it and leave it just like it is, and it's gonna sit at the house in the china cabinet and that's for my kids. They can tell my great-grandkids about it. We're big into stories. I like tellin' stories. That's just who I am," said the retired automotive worker. Yet Richard, known as "Big Red" during his time at Ford due to his red-tinged beard, had long forgotten about the wallet years before Chad's message arrived on social media. Since the discovery though, a Ford spokesperson described it as "a repair that's right on the money," adding: "Can you imagine the odds?"
