This is James Samuel Willis, the 17-year-old who died after getting into difficulty in the sea at Whitby.

The teenager, originally from Stockton, Teesside, but now based in the Gosforth area, and two 16-year-old girls were believed to have been using an inflatable dinghy when they got into difficulty on Wednesday.

They were on an adult supervised trip from St Nicholas Hospital, in Gosforth, Newcastle, which is a medium secure psychiatric unit for youths.

James’ mother, Paula Willis, said: “James was a lovely, popular boy and will be sorely missed by all his family and friends.

"I am completely devastated by this tragic accident and I am trying to come to terms with his loss.”

The inquest into James’ death opened and adjourned in Scarborough this morning.

Police inquiries into the incident remain ongoing.

Witnesses or anyone with information should contact North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 24 7.