A MOTHER says she is convinced her 14-year-old son died after a prank learnt on TV went tragically wrong.

Scott Rice was found hanging from a bed by a dressing gown belt as his brother slept on the top bunk.

It is thought Scott intended to scare his family in a practical joke similar to those shown on the American TV show Jackass.

An inquest recorded an open verdict, with the coroner confirming there were no suspicious circumstances.

Scott's mother Carrie told the inquest that her son, who attended the Riverside Special School in Worcester, would frequently emulate stunts seen on the television programme.

She said: "He would often do things that would make you say, 'Stop or you'll hurt yourself'. Jumping off sheds, doing stunts on bikes, that sort of thing.

"He would always go on about Jackass and he was pratting around all the time, but I don't know whether he had done anything before using ropes."

Scott was found by his elder sister in his bedroom on Wednesday, June 1, at the family home in Wren Avenue, Malvern.

Despite resuscitation attempts by Scott's father Robin, he was pronounced dead at Worcester Royal Hospital an hour after he was found.

The inquest, in Stourport-on-Severn, heard that a mobile phone contained video footage of Scott saying, "I like Jackass" and "I like hurting myself".

Scott had spent a normal day with his friend and girlfriend and there was no indication that he was miserable, the inquest heard. A suicide note was not found.

Worcestershire coroner Victor Round told the family: "There's no way in the world that I would come to the verdict that he committed suicide. However I can't say for certain what happened.

"You are saying it's an accident and you may well be right but I can't prove it because we can't get inside his head."

He recorded an open verdict.