Ben Quartermaine: Police probe suspected fundraising fraud

Ben Quartermaine's family described him as a "happy, loving and independent boy"

Police are investigating an allegation of fraud relating to fundraising in memory of a 15-year-old boy who drowned after being swept out to sea.

The body of Ben Quartermaine was found on 28 July after he went missing while swimming with a friend near Clacton Pier, Essex, two days earlier.

Essex Police said a local charity had been asked to help raise funds in support of Ben's family.

Officers are now investigating the "legitimacy of the fundraising".

Mark Stephenson, an Independent councillor for Clacton, said: "Using tragedy for their own personal gain is one of the lowest things people can do.

"It is an allegation, but if it does turn out to be true, the police should throw the book at them. It's a terrible, sickening thing."

His friend was rescued by a lifeboat crew but Ben's body was not found until a dog walker spotted him in the sea

A spokesperson for the Charity Commission said: "We encourage donors to give with their heads as well as their hearts - by looking for a registered charity number, performing some simple checks, such as asking for ID, and asking some basic questions about where your donation will go."

The teenager, who lived in Clacton-on-Sea, was a big motorcycling fan and was planning to start basic training on his 16th birthday so he could ride a moped his family had been restoring as a gift.

His relatives described him as a "happy, loving and independent boy who would go out of his way to make others laugh and smile".