A TEENAGE boy ran barefoot from his family home in the middle of the night and later stepped in front of a train, an inquest heard.

Apprentice bricklayer Tom Young, 16, described by his family as academically bright and a ‘good lad’, had been out with friends on the night before his death near to Steeton and Silsden railway station on Saturday, February 1.

His dad Richard told Monday’s hearing that the night before his death, Tom had arrived home later than agreed and had apologised.

His wife, Rebecca, had gone downstairs just after midnight and could see that her son had been drinking “but appeared fine” and had then gone to bed.

The following morning, Tom wasn’t at home and so his parents thought he had got up early to go to work.

His family reported him missing later that day when they discovered he hadn’t turned up at work.

Mr Young said a British Transport Police officer had called at their home in Cross Hills shortly after midnight the following day to tell them the tragic news.

Since receiving the news, Mr Young said he had been “in shock” and unable to understand why it had happened.

“I can’t understand how or why this has happened,” he said in a statement which was read out to the court.

“Me and my family are devastated at the loss of our son.”

Mr Young described his son as “very clever” and said he had done well in his exams at South Craven School.

He had been working for a company as an apprentice bricklayer.

Mr Young said he had never seen any signs that his son had previously self-harmed and he had never suffered with mental health problems.

British Transport Police officer Michael Kelly told the inquest in Bradford that CCTV footage had shown Tom running from the family home at 1.25am.

He was not wearing any shoes and, at 1.28am, was seen walking on Skipton Road. He had then climbed a wall into a field adjacent to the railway line.

At 3am he was seen near the railway again and at 6am he was tragically killed by a freight train travelling at 45mph.

The train driver told police that a young man had run onto the track around 20 yards in front of the train. The driver described what happened appearing to be a ‘deliberate act’.

A post mortem examination concluded that Tom had died from multiple injuries.

Recording a narrative conclusion, assistant coroner Mary Burke said it was clear that Tom’s family was a “very supportive and loving family who cared for him deeply.” Ms Burke said it was not possible to say he had intended to harm himself. Ms Burke said: “I cannot give you an answer. I do not know what Tom’s intentions were.”