THE family of a teenage boy who died of hypothermia after he left a party are considering legal action.

John Winter, 15, of Barnard Castle, County Durham, was found dead in a field after he set off to walk home after a party in March.

Traces of cannabis and ecstasy were found in his body, and he was twice the legal driving limit for alcohol.

His family say an inquest last week has left them with several unanswered questions about his death, and will take legal advice to see if they can find out more. In particular, the family want to know why police did not do more to stop the party at Marwood Social Centre, near the small village of Kinninvie, and what is being done about reported drinking and drug-taking at the party.

His mother, Amanda, said: "John was a good lad and we owe it to him to find out the truth.

"Most people get a second chance, but our John did not. He does not deserve to have his name tarnished like it is. It is not fair that John should be made a scapegoat."

Mrs Winter said the family decided to press for more information after an anonymous note was left on John's grave saying 'It's so unfair. One day justice will be done'.

John's aunt, Gillian Bousfield, said: "We need somebody to give us a straight answer as to what actually went on that night.

"The drugs and the drink are still going on in Barney, with kids aged 15 and 16 and younger, and I think people do not realise the extent of it. The kids think they are invincible, but they are not."

Detective Inspector Paul Harker, of Bishop Auckland police, said that if the officers had ended the party, then more children may have tried to walk home.

He said: "The officers had a decision to make on the night whether or not to turn out 100-plus teenagers in a blizzard in the middle of nowhere where they may have missed pre-arranged lifts. When the officers turned up, there was evidence of drink and a few people were slightly the worse for wear, but there were no people obviously drunk.

"We are not talking about a party that was out of control."

He said underage drinking and drug-taking was a problem in society and that it needed a co- ordinated effort from several agencies, including the police, to tackle it.