A 12-year-old boy found hanged by his school tie did not mean to kill himself, his parents have said.

Robert and Jane Arnett spoke out after a coroner ruled their son David's death was a possible suicide.

Mr and Mrs Arnett were devastated to find David's body in his bedroom.

The schoolboy had been told off at school earlier that day after his form tutor caught him with cigarettes in his pocket.

Mr and Mrs Arnett yesterday spoke of their "dear irreplaceable son" who was their only child.

They said: "The coroner recorded an open verdict but we are convinced our dear son's death was a tragic accident caused in a moment of distress and he did not intend taking his life."

An inquest on Tuesday heard how David had been given 24 hours to tell his parents about the cigarettes before the school contacted them.

David finished off the school day before walking to his home in Longland Road, Eastbourne.

While his father cooked dinner downstairs, David went up to his room and attached his school tie to the outside door handle of the bedroom.

He was found shortly afterwards by his parents when he failed to come down for dinner.

Mr Arnett described the moment he found his child's body.

He said: "I began to go upstairs. At the top there is a barrier rail. As I was walking up the stairs through the rails I saw David and he looked like he was kneeling down."

Mr Arnett fought back tears as he told the inquest at Eastbourne: "I thought he was asleep. He was leaning against the door frame. The tie was over the door handle. My wife realised there was something wrong and it was my wife who actually lifted him."

David was taken to Eastbourne General but pronounced dead an hour later.

He had gone to school as usual on December 15 last year.

His form tutor at Cavendish School, Eastbourne, Joanna-Clea Burns said: "David was full of life and a practical joker."

She said David had been' late for afternoon registration.

When she spoke to him about it, he smelled of cigarette smoke and she discovered cigarettes in his pocket. David denied he had been smoking and said he was looking after the cigarettes for a friend.

Mr Arnett, who described his son as "a very outgoing boy" who loved sport, said he noticed nothing unusual about David's behaviour that afternoon. They shared a joke before his son went upstairs to wrap his mother's Christmas present.

The last time he saw David alive was at 4.50pm when he came downstairs to see what was for dinner.

Recording an open verdict, coroner Alan Craze said: "It is a possible suicide."