Teen dies after being hit by pipe at building site
HandoutA 17-year-old has died after a concrete pipe fell on him while he was working at a building site.
Shay Bladen, from Witton Gilbert, was seriously injured at the Sniperley Park DH1 homes development in Durham shortly before 13:00 BST on Thursday and taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle where he died on Friday.
The construction worker's parents said he was "the most genuine, loving, funny, caring lad you could ever wish to meet".
The Health and Safety Executive is investigating alongside the police, with inspectors visiting the private housing development site.
The Esh Group, which is carrying out groundworks at the site, previously said the teenager was an employee of a subcontractor.
The teenager's parents said he loved boxing and the gym and also "loved work and his job and just constantly being on the go".
"Shay was the most genuine, loving, caring lad you could ever wish to meet, he lit up every room making everyone smile even on the worst days," they said.
"We love you and seeing how highly everyone speaks about you just shows the type of person you were.
"Our handsome brown-eyed boy - forever 17."
Det Ch Insp Andy Crowe said: "This has been a truly tragic incident and I would like to offer Shay's family and friends the sincere condolences of everyone at Durham Constabulary.
"We are carrying out a joint investigation with our colleagues at the Health and Safety Executive to determine the exact circumstances as to how this tragedy unfolded."