Seb Mitchell: Family pay tribute to 17-year-old boy who was stabbed to death in North Yorkshire

Seb Mitchell died on February 21 after being involved in an altercation at a house on Claro Road in Harrogate on February 19. A 16-year-old boy has been charged in connection with the incident and is due to appear in court again in the near future.

Seb, who attended Harrogate Grammar School, was a talented karate champion who won a silver medal at last year’s Central England Open Championships. More than £15,000 has been raised on a fundraising page in his honour.

A statement from his family, issued via North Yorkshire Police, said: “Seb was our beautiful, funny, talented boy. There are no words to describe how we feel now that he has been so cruelly taken from us. We will carry him in our hearts forever.”

North Yorkshire Police have also appealed to the public not to name the 16-year-old boy who has been arrested in connection with Seb’s death, as his anonymity is protected by law. A statement from the force said: “We are aware of social media posts naming the boy who has been charged and also speculating on the circumstances of Seb’s death. It is really important that nobody does this.

"This is because once someone has been charged with an offence, it is illegal to publish anything that could influence a jury and affect a person’s right to a fair trial. This includes claiming to know what happened or speculating about the circumstances of his death. Publishing includes uploading posts and comments to social media.

“Also, suspects who are under the age of 18 have anonymity in law. Therefore it is illegal to name them on social media as the suspect in a case. We would therefore strongly urge anyone who has posted comments or photos naming the suspect in the case or speculated about the circumstances, to remove them urgently.”