Police looking into schoolboy’s ‘unexplained death’ after taken ill at Bow Secondary

A schoolboy has died after he was taken ill during what’s believed to have been a lunchtime detention at a secondary school in London’s East End.

The 14 year old, who had severe asthma, died yesterday afternoon in hospital after he had been reported ill last Thursday at the new Bow School in Bromley-by-Bow.

A post-mortem is due at Poplar Mortuary.

His death is being treated as “unexplained”, Scotland Yard confirmed today.

The youngster had been in detention last Thursday with his friends after lunch, the boy’s uncle has told the BBC.

The teenager complained that he felt ill and asked to get his inhaler, according to the uncle.

The school then called an ambulance and the boy was taken to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel where he was kept in over the weekend, but died yesterday.

The school was in shock today at news of the boy passing away.

Bow Secondary’s head teacher Cath Smith confirmed that one of her Year 9 pupils who was taken ill at school last Thursday had died in hospital.

“The whole school community sends our thoughts and prayers to his family,” she said in a statement.

“We will continue to offer support to the family, his fellow pupils and teachers at this difficult time.”

The school is “cooperating fully” with investigations into the circumstances of the tragedy and is to carry out an internal “thorough review” of what happened.

The school, formerly known as Bow Boys, moved to its new campus site just two years ago, under Cath Smith, when it expanded to take in girls.

Tower Hamlets Social Services have been informed of the boy’s death and are also looking into the incident.