Teenage rugby player falls to his death after friend's funeral

Mystery surrounds the death of Shaun Griffiths, 18, who suffered fatal injuries after apparently falling from the roof in the early hours of Saturday.

He had attended the wake of fellow player Gareth Swift, 19, who played for the same Normanton Knights club as Shaun - before moving on to Featherstone Rovers - last Friday.

Shaun's parents Mark and Claire, both 41, said their son had been working until 8pm on Friday and had not been to the funeral service for Gareth, who died in a car crash in April.

They said Shaun had gone to the wake at The Norman pub for a short time on Friday night before going on to a party with friends at a flat in Normanton.

Mr Griffiths said: "I just know that he has ended up on the roof somehow.

"He has fallen from there, on the roof of the flats we think, we are not 100 per cent sure. We just can't understand how or why."

A police spokeswoman said: "Officers received a call at 06:52am on Saturday from the ambulance service reporting a man with injuries.

"Officers attended the scene and an 18-year-old local man was pronounced dead shortly after.

"Early indications are that his death is not being treated as suspicious and a file is to be submitted to the HM Coroner."

Shaun's mum Claire said: "I couldn't have had a nicer son.

"He had just booked to go on his first holiday with his mates to Magaluf on July 12, the week after his 19th birthday."

"He was just a good lad, he was never in any bother," she added.

The couple said Shaun earned four straight A-level 'A' grades in law, finance, psychology and business at New College, Pontefract, before starting work in February for HBOS in Leeds.

Normanton Knights Under 18's coach Andrew Ellis said Shaun was a popular player at the club, adding: "It has been a big shock to the team. We had been at Gareth's funeral on the Friday and then we heard about this on Saturday."

Shaun, who also leaves sisters Rachel, 17 and Rebecca, 11, was a former junior captain at Normanton Golf Club.