Karl Peart had a photograph of his mother beside him when he died

The parents of a boy from north-east England who committed suicide after apparently being bullied at school, are calling for the creation of a Children's Commissioner to help young people at risk.

Karl Peart died when he took an overdose of painkillers at his home in Lynemouth in Northumberland.

His parents say he had been taunted through primary school and routinely attacked throughout his secondary school career.

The boy, a pupil at Hirst High School in Northumberland, is believed to have taken a fatal mixture of painkillers and alcohol.

His mother Sonia said children needed a service to offer confidential counselling, that would not lead to any recriminations from fellow youngsters.

'Help children'

She said: "It is somebody to be there for the likes of Karl.

"We found that Karl had nobody to talk to other than us, and sometimes as parents he found it difficult to talk to us.

"I think if there was somebody out there who these children could talk to without any comeback to them, and they could help them, then I think there would be more children using the service."

His mother, 43, said Karl had endured a court case, in which a youth was ordered to pay him compensation for a street attack.

She said he could not face returning to school after the half-term break, following the court case.

She said he went to bed and placed a picture of her on his pillow.

He then wrote two notes for his mother and father, detailing in one of them the arrangements for his funeral - including playing the song I'm With You by chart star Avril Lavigne.

It is believed Karl then took painkillers and alcohol.

A coroner's office spokesman said a date for a full inquest would be set after toxicology tests had been carried out.