Bereaved mum's message on World Mental Health Day

Friends and family of Max Turton have been raising money in his memory

The mother of a teenager who took his own life after not getting the exam grades he wanted has urged other young people to talk about their worries.

Max Turton died on 28 August last year, just a few days after picking up his GCSE results. He was 16.

Katie Turton, who lives in Telford, said on Friday, World Mental Health Day: "Max was incredibly sensitive and independent and I think he internalised his feelings and did not want to be a burden on anyone."

Since Max's death, friends and family have raised about £100,000 for charity in his memory.

Mrs Turton said she wanted other teenagers to speak to someone if they were feeling low.

She described her son as "kind, very funny and genuine," adding he felt he had failed in his exam results.

She said: "There is a great pressure on children now to achieve high grades and I don't believe that should be the case."

Family and friends have supported Mrs Turton and her husband Chris in raising money for the suicide prevention charity Papyrus.

Mrs Turton's own fundraising efforts have included an abseil down the side of Liverpool's Anfield stadium on what would have been Max's 17th birthday.

• Information and support for those affected by mental health can be found at the BBC's Action Line website.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.