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Three teenagers arrested for firework death

Three teenagers have been arrested in connection with the death of a mother who died after a firework was pushed through her letterbox, setting her house ablaze.

Mary Fox, 59, who had nine children, was trapped in her bedroom after reportedly pushing her son Raum, 17, to safety through an upstairs window as flames engulfed the house.

The youths, two aged 17 and one of 18, are all from Bodmin in Cornwall.

The remnants of a firework were found behind the front door of Mrs Fox's house in Carpenter Court, Wallace Road, Bodmin.

The three were arrested on suspicion of murder and are in custody at Launceston police station.

After leaping from the three-storey house, Raum ran to alert neighbours that his mother was still trapped inside. Firefighters found Mrs Fox dead in the same room from which her son escaped.

Officers have investigated claims that Raum, who has learning difficulties, was being bullied at school and that the family was targeted by youths who had been throwing fireworks in the street.

It is thought Raum moved from Bodmin College to St Austell College because of bullying.

But Devon and Cornwall police said there is no obvious evidence that Mrs Fox or Raum had been victims of bullying after speaking to schools and social services.

They were held in custody after detectives said they found clues on Facebook to what is being treated as murder. Officers acted on reports suggesting people had posted the suspects' names on the internet.

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Teenagers could appeal against school exclusions

Teenagers could soon get the right to launch their own appeals against being excluded from school.

The proposed change to the rules worries teachers’ leaders, who believe that it could further undermine their authority when tackling indiscipline in the classroom.

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Cannabis risk message reaching teenagers

More than two-fifths of teenagers (42 per cent) know someone who has suffered mental health harm from using cannabis, according to a survey published today.

The study by drug information service FRANK found that 74 per cent of young people are aware that cannabis can harm mental health, while 56 per cent associate cannabis use with losing motivation and doing badly at school or college.

A spokesman for the service said that mental health harm refers to paranoia, panic attacks and memory loss.

The study found that despite being aware of the risks, some teenagers still admit to feeling under pressure to try cannabis (18 per cent), with 11 per cent saying it makes them look cool.

Others said they use it to help them to cope with life (14 per cent), while a quarter (26 per cent) see it as a "natural" drug, despite the risks.

Chris Hudson from FRANK said: "The majority of teenagers (55 per cent) don't want to risk their health by using cannabis. However, some people choose to take the risk, while others wrongly believe cannabis is harmless because it is a plant.

"Cannabis messes with your mind - and reactions can be more powerful with stronger strains such as skunk, which is around twice as potent.