The parents of a teenager who died in custody have called for a public inquiry into the number of deaths of vulnerable youngsters in the UK‘s penal system.

Jake Hardy, 17, was one of two teenage deaths in prison last week. He was found hanging in his cell at a young offender institution in Wigan and died on Tuesday. Hours later, 15-year-old Alex Kelly was discovered unconscious at a juvenile prison in Kent and was pronounced dead the following day. Both had previously been identified as at risk of suicide or self-harm.