- Body of a young male found in a ditch in the village of Edenthorpe, near Doncaster
- Schoolboy Lewis Eddleston, 13, has been missing from the area since Sunday afternoon
- The teenager was last seen when he left a group of friends on a playing field a mile from where the body was discovered
- The identity of the body has not been confirmed, but police are linking the discovery to the search for the missing schoolboy
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Missing: Schoolboy Lewis Eddleston, 13, has not been seen since Sunday, when he left a group of friends on a playing field in his home village of Edenthorpe
The body of a teenage boy has been found in a ditch in Yorkshire by police searching for a 13-year-old who disappeared from the area at the weekend.
Lewis Eddleston, 13, has not been seen since he left a group of friends on a playing field just a mile from his home in the village of Edenthorpe, near Doncaster, on Sunday afternoon.
Police said it was too early to confirm the identity of the body, which was found today in a ditch a mile from where Lewis was last seen in the village, but officers are linking the discovery to the search for the missing schoolboy.
Lewis was playing on the field on Sunday when he asked his friends to look after his mobile phone while he went to the toilet. He never returned.
A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said today: 'Police can confirm that the body of a young male has been found in a ditch close to The Boulevard, Edenthorpe, Doncaster.
'The Ambulance Service attended the scene and attempted resuscitation, which sadly was unsuccessful.
'An investigation has commenced into the circumstances surrounding this tragic event - at this stage, it is too early to determine a cause of death or confirm the identity of the male.
'Formal identification procedures will take place but officers investigating are linking this to the 13-year-old boy recently reported missing in Doncaster.'
Discovery: Police officers found the body of a young male in a ditch in doncaster, close to where 13-year-old Lewis Eddleston disappeared
A cordon has been erected around the area where police discovered the body today in Doncaster
Before the body was discovered Lewis' mother Diane said his disappearance was out of character as she appealed for her son to return home.
She said: 'He has never done anything like this before - it is totally out of character.
'We had had a lovely family bonfire on Saturday night and there were no problems at home or at school.
'Worried sick': Lewis' mother Diane had made an emotional appeal for her son to return home
'We just want to know he is safe, we have no idea where he is or what has happened and we are worried sick.
'I just hope he sees this and gets in touch to let us know he is OK.'
There had been no news of Lewis' whereabouts since Sunday, although there had been unconfirmed sightings of the schoolboy in the Balby area of Doncaster.
The family's neighbour Royce Lambert, 49, said news of the discovery had rocked the estate.
'People are devastated,' he said.
'He was a great kid, your typical 13-year-old boy. I had to tell him off a few times for climbing on my garage but that's just what lads his age do.'
The retired Royal Marine said: 'My thoughts are with the family.
'It's been hard for them while he has been missing but this news is truly heartbreaking.
'Nobody knows what's happened to him yet, whether it's been an accident or something else.
'I just hope they find out as quickly as possible - for the sake of the family if nothing else.'
Police have erected a cordon around the scene where the body was found at Hunger Hill Lane, an area locals said was used mainly by dog walkers and youngsters using it as a short-cut to school.
'We were told that the body of a young lad had been found but nothing else,' one resident said.
'Other than the lane that runs through it, it's mainly marsh land and reeds with a sort of ditch running through the middle.'
Lewis' family were said to be too upset to speak today.
I was in my local Spa in Doncaster yesterday and saw his poster up! i just thought he may have run away. Boy do I wish I had been correct. My thoughts and prayers are with the family. RIP Lewis.
- Suzanne , Doncaster, 07/11/2012 18:30
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