Boy dies after falling eight floors in 'lift-surfing' craze

A mother warned children against the dangers of lifts yesterday after her 10-year-old son plunged more than 100 feet to his death while playing on the roof of an elevator at a Leeds housing estate.

Jean Illingworth described how she had also warned her son, Paul, about the perils of "lift-surfing", in which youngsters travel on lifts as they move up and down the shaft. Emergency Services were called to the estate in the Swarcliffe area of Leeds on Wednesday. Paul was discovered at the foot of the lift shaft, having fallen eight floors. He was rushed to St James's hospital, Leeds, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Detective Inspector Bob Quantock of West Yorkshire police said: "It seems that youngsters found out how to stop the lifts and then jumped on top of them. They then rode up and down in the darkness of the shaft". An inquest on the boy's death will take place next week.