A CORONER yesterday urged a teenager to search his conscience and tell the parents of a 13-year-old boy how he died of a gunshot wound.

William Buffey was killed by a single round to the back of the head from a .22 rifle in February last year.

He had gone to shoot rabbits in a disused quarry near his home at Angram Hall, Carlton Hus-thwaite, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, with close friend Jacob Knowles, then aged 15.

Yesterday's inquest at County Hall, Northallerton, heard that Jacob, now 17, of Barugh Farm, Carlton Husthwaite, initially said that William had fallen and accidentally shot himself.

He told police that his father, Anthony Knowles, was with the pair at the time of the accident.

But he changed his story eight weeks later, saying that he had been carrying the .22 rifle, which hit a tree and went off after he tripped over undergrowth.

Detective Inspector David Mallyn told the inquest that when police reconstructed Jacob's version of events, they found it did not add up.

He said a number of factors were still unexplained, including why no one told paramedics that William had been shot and why it took Jacob eight weeks to tell police he had been carrying the .22 weapon.

"There is no evidence to say that Jacob deliberately did anything wrong," he added.

"They were obviously very good friends. I keep an open mind and invite Jacob to speak to us again.

"He and his family would be treated fairly and with respect."

When Jacob was called as a witness, he confirmed that William had been his best friend, but said he could not give any further information about the circumstances of his death.

In a statement read to the hearing by Coroner Michael Oakley, William's father, Richard Buffey, said: "From the first day there has been a smokescreen relating to what actually happened.

"Lie after lie after lie implies to me that the truth has never been told.

"There is only one person knows for certain what happened. Because he won't say, he has put us through months of hanging by a thread.

"Definite knowledge is always better than wondering."

Mr Oakley recorded an open verdict.

He said: "Only Jacob knows the explanation and I would hope that in due course, that explanation is given.

"Clearly, Jacob owes it to his late best friend and his parents to perhaps study the depth of his conscience and come up with the circumstances."