‘Fantastic' teenager found dead in lake near Birmingham as school and football club lead tributes
Daniel Drewitt went missing after going into water at Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield, just after 6pm on Thursday.
Rescuers searched for the 16-year-old, but his body was discovered later into the evening.
Staff at Colmers School and Sixth Form College in Rednal paid tribute to the boy, describing him as a 'confident, full of life, a talented sportsman, and so deeply loved by staff and fellow pupils alike'.
A former player at Northfield Town FC, the football club also released a statement following Daniel's death. 'Daniel was a fantastic young man who always wore a smile on his face whether on or off the pitch and was loved by so many,' the club said.
West Midlands Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious.
'We are supporting Daniel's family at this tragic time. Our thoughts are with them, and we ask that they are given privacy,' a force spokesperson added.
Staff at the boy's school said they were deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of the Year 11 student.
'His warm presence and positive spirit will be sorely missed,' staff said.
They added: "We know how deeply this loss will be felt by many, and we are committed to ensuring no member of our school community feels alone in their grief.
"Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with Daniel's family. We ask urgent respect for their privacy at this profoundly difficult time."
Staff at the school said they were doing all they could to support the school community during a difficult time.
A spokesperson for the school said: 'Our pastoral team, school counsellors, and senior staff are working together to provide dedicated spaces and support for both students and staff.
'This includes opportunities for quiet reflection, one-to-one conversations, and access to emotional and wellbeing support throughout the days and weeks ahead.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
2 minutes ago
- BBC News
Newcastle City Council bullying investigation costs reach £74k
An unfinished investigation into a bullying complaint made against a former council leader has so far cost more than £74,000.A senior local authority director made the allegation last September against Nick Kemp, who was leader of Newcastle City Council at the investigation into the complaint, which was commissioned by the council last November and is being carried out by an external law firm, is yet to were told on Tuesday its findings were now expected to be delivered in August, following concerns about the length of time it was taking to complete, and that the probe had already resulted in a bill totalling tens of thousands of pounds. Mr Kemp, who resigned as leader in September and later quit the Labour Party, has denied any complaint against the Byker councillor was made by Michelle Percy, the council's director of investment and growth. 'Far too long' Council solicitor Helen Wilson confirmed the current running cost of the investigation was £74,632.50, plus said the inquiry into the bullying complaint had been a "significant undertaking" requiring interviews with multiple individuals and a "large amount of information" being gathered, and said she hoped a final report would be issued to the council's monitoring officer in a breach of the council's code of conduct was found, then the matter would be referred to a special hearing in front of the audit and standards committee to decide what action to take, she added. The committee's independent chair, Les Watson, said the situation had "gone on far too long" and that he wanted to move quickly once the final report is Kemp, who was replaced by Karen Kilgour in the leader role, said at the time of his resignation that he "strenuously" refuted any allegations of long-serving councillor and five colleagues all quit Labour in November 2024, in doing so wiping out the party's majority in the council chamber, and now sit as members of an East End and Associates Independents group. Follow BBC Newcastle on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
2 minutes ago
- BBC News
HMP Haverigg hailed one of country's 'best prisons'
A prison with a troubled history has become one of the country's most "impressive jails," inspectors have said. HMP Haverigg, near Barrow in Cumbria, houses about 490 convicted sex offenders and had previously been forced to close for several weeks after a in recent years the prison has increased efforts to rehabilitate prisoners by finding them jobs on farms and in coffee Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, said the jail had become "safe, decent and effective". He said: "Strong leadership by an experienced governor and his highly capable deputy are making Haverigg one of the most impressive jails in the country. "It is safe, decent and effective and I have no doubt that, with the current staff and leadership team, it will continue to flourish. "I hope leaders from other prisons take the trouble to visit and learn from its many achievements." Jobs for prisoners Other work given to inmates includes growing food for the prison, working in the smokery and maintaining the grounds and Inspectorate of Prisons report said the jail had created a curriculum "aimed at giving prisoners the skills that would help them get work on release"."This was critically important because of the limited employment opportunities for men convicted of sexual offences," it report also found that the prison had built up a network of local employers willing to give jobs to those released on temporary licence. Prison education charity Nacro's chief executive, Campbell Robb, said the jail helped inmates develop skills to "turn their lives around" and reduce reoffending."Giving those in prison responsibility for growing their own food, working in community jobs and activities to reduce isolation and better prepare people for work on release, have all contributed to the low, 6% recall rate," he said. Prison history HM Haverigg has had a chequered past and in 2011 its leadership was told by inspectors that drug abuse and bullying had become a were made to tackle problems, but despite a reduction in violence, 40% of inmates still said they felt unsafe in same year a riot broke out, which led to the prison being closed for four years later, an investigation found 17 inmates were caught high on drugs during a single day of "mass intoxication".The jail was previously classed as a category C trainer prison but was turned into a category D jail in 2019, as part of efforts to improve the the most recent report, inspectors praised the prison's leadership for empowering staff and prisoners to develop a "rehabilitative prison".Mr Taylor added: "It was an absolute pleasure to visit this safe, decent and effective prison." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
2 minutes ago
- BBC News
West Midlands PCC calls for tougher e-bike and e-scooter powers
The West Midlands police and crime commissioner (PCC) has asked for extra powers to tackle the "growing threat posed by e-bikes, e-scooters and other vehicles being used recklessly and unlawfully on the region's roads".Simon Foster said he wanted "urgent changes to the law" to allow police to destroy the vehicles within seven days, rather than the current said some e-bikes had been modified to reach speeds of up to 70mph (113kmph) and were "increasingly being used by criminal gangs and networks". He said their "speed, agility, and lack of registration make them ideal for evading police and intimidating the public". The PCC also said he would make the case for "strict regulations on the weight, power and speed of privately-owned e-scooters", if it became legal to use them in public spaces in the is currently illegal to use privately owned e-scooters on public roads, pavements and cycle lanes in the UK, but they can be used on private land with the landowner's e-scooters that are part of approved trials are legal to use in designated proposals were submitted as part of a national consultation and he said he made the suggestion after talking to West Midlands said he had been told the electric bikes and scooters were "often used without insurance, registration, or safety equipment, and were frequently involved in dangerous group riding, off-road activity, and pavement use".He said the proposed change would also reduce police storage costs and send a clear deterrent message. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
