The grieving parents of a 16-year-old boy who took his own life two weeks ago have told how "he set off on a bike ride and never came home".

Alison and Colin Webb say the death of their "handsome and witty" son Lucas came as a "bolt from the blue" as they did not know of his struggles with mental health.

The science-loving schoolboy was found dead in woodland in Barham, near Canterbury, on December 13 after a widespread search supported by about 150 people.

His parents say there was no "obvious trigger" for his suicide, but say the Covid lockdown had a "profound impact" on his social interactions.

They believe the tragedy could have been avoided had Lucas confided in someone.

They have now set up a fundraising appeal for Young Minds, a charity supporting young people struggling with life issues, and their families.

Writing of Lucas's death on the page, they say: "For us as parents, it came like a bolt out of the blue as we had no reason to suspect he was suffering with his mental health.

"He hid his struggles from us, seemingly not able to reach out to anyone for help.

"The Covid pandemic lockdown has affected us all but for Lucas it had a profound impact on the vital social interactions in and out of school that teenagers crave.

"He had been so excited to start sixth form in September and poured himself into his A-levels, studying religiously as always.

"Family life continued as normal until one afternoon, he set off on a bike ride and never came home."

The disappearance of Lucas on December 12 led to a desperate search which ended with the tragic discovery of his body in woodland the following morning.

His parents say: "There had been no argument, no obvious trigger and no concern for his welfare.

"He was always so dependable, self-motivated and confident and we were so proud of him.

"From that point onwards our loss became a very public ordeal.

"It was only after his death we discovered he had been battling with his feelings for several weeks. As parents, we strive to protect our children and yet we have not been able to protect Lucas from his own negative thoughts.

"If Lucas had confided in someone, we are certain this tragic loss of life could have been avoided and we would have had him to hug, to laugh with and to share with us this Christmas."

The family's appeal was launched with a target of £1,000 but already more than £5,500 has been donated to the charity, which helps thousands of youngsters a year.

Lucas's parents wrote: "Young Minds is a charity which helps young people deal with many life issues from self-harm to suicidal feelings.

"They are also there to offer support and advice to parents and professionals.

"We firmly believe if Lucas had been able to access this specialist help he would have seen how much he had to live for, how much he was loved and what a bright future he had ahead of him.

"With your help, we can support Young Minds to prevent another family like ours being devastated by the unnecessary loss of a young life.

"So this is for Lucas. Our clever, handsome, witty, creative boy, who always aimed high and is a huge loss to us all. Thank you."

To donate to the fundraiser, click here.

For confidential support on an emotional issue, call Samaritans on 116 123 at any time or click here to visit the website.

Read more: All the latest news from Canterbury