Ben Nelson-Roux died at a hostel for homeless adults called Cavendish House, in April 2020, after taking a number of drugs, including cocaine and diazepam.

An inquest into his death heard the “creative and kind” boy had been struggling with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), severe mental health issues and drug and alcohol abuse since the age of 12, and he had also been exploited by violent criminals and forced to sell drugs.

Before he died, specialists from 12 organisations, including social workers and psychiatrists, became increasingly concerned about Ben as he was frequently taking drugs, getting arrested and threatening to take his own life.

His family said he was “spiralling desperately out of control” but there was no suitable accommodation and no drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities he could access.

Jon Heath, Senior Coroner for North Yorkshire, has sent a report to the Health Secretary which highlights concerns about “the lack of any residential substance misuse treatment facilities" for people under 18 across the country.

In the report, he said “there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken”.

The coroner also said he is concerned that North Yorkshire County Council did not search for appropriate accommodation for the teenager outside of the county.

He was provided with accommodation at the hostel after his mother asked him to leave the family home in January 2020, following a series of violent outbursts, and he refused to be taken into care.

The council was planning to move Ben to a hostel that provides specialist support to young people, and he was top of the waiting list but there were no vacancies.

A review held after the death concluded that under 18s should not be housed in adult hostels.

At the inquest, Mr Heath found the hostel was “unsuitable” but it did not “contribute” to the Ben’s death.

The coroner also said he took multiple drugs before his death but the cause cannot be established, because Covid-19 restrictions prevented the pathologist from conducting a full post-mortem examination of the body.

In a statement released after the inquest, the family said: “We have been deprived of any answers and Ben was as failed in death as he was in life.

“Not only do we not know how Ben died, the court was unable to conclude that his accommodation contributed to his death.

“This is despite the fact that everyone accepted that the accommodation was not suitable for Ben’s needs. It was an adult homeless hostel.

“The court was told that other residents could have had serious criminal convictions and were using drugs and alcohol on the premises.”

They added: “To us, Ben’s life was seen as less valuable because he used drugs.

"Because he used drugs, there was an assumption that that was the cause of his death and it stuck. There was no further investigation, which is what anyone would expect following the death of a child.

“We feel that the coroner’s conclusion did not grapple with the complexities of Ben’s case and focussed on drugs and alcohol.

“There was no mention of the impact of Ben being a confirmed victim of modern slavery; there was no mention of his unexplained injuries and the lack of escalation around that; there was no mention of Ben being assaulted at the hostel just a week before he died.

“Ben had ADHD and struggled with school, which made him an easy target for criminal exploitation. Children like Ben are still vulnerable and there is not enough support to keep them, and their families, safe.”

Coroner issues warning after exploited teenager is found dead in hostel for homeless adults