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A bullied teenage boy has died after an apparent suicide bid following years of torment.

Simon Brooks, 15, died in hospital on Tuesday morning after his family said he had taken a cocktail of drugs from their medical cabinet on Friday.

The youngster left his mum Julie a note which expressed his desire to be with God as he couldn’t face being bullied anymore.

Simon also leaves behind his father David, two sisters and two brothers.

Since her son’s death Julie, of Hafod Wen in Tonyrefail, has urged the authorities to provide more support for families who are dealing with bullying and also better discipline across the board to deal with bullies.

She paid emotional tribute to her “sensitive and kindhearted” son.

Julie, of Hafod Wen, Tonyrefail, said the teenager had endured years of bullying.

“Simon was a sunshine child. He was so delightful, deep, sensitive and analytical,” she said.

“Him and I had this very special relationship as we understood each other without even speaking.

“It was a privilege to have been his mother and to have given birth to such an articulate, funny, warm, single minded, determined, and loving person.

“It was the worst four days of my life watching my darling child suffer and die.

“One can’t know the love for a child unless you give birth to one, likewise one can’t know the searing pain of losing a child unless you have lost one.

“A part of me is now gone forever and my life will never ever be the same without him in it.

“He was very often misunderstood and dismissed but I am thankful that I knew him in the deepest of places and that we shared the same heart.

“The love we shared will help warm the dark days ahead for us without him.”

(Image: BPM)

Simon, who moved to Wales when he was just a toddler, had trouble with bullying, said his mother, which led to him to change primary school three times and secondary school twice. Just days before he died, Julie was looking into home-schooling for him because of his anxiety about going to school.

Julie said: “Although he had a group of very close friends, he often complained about his peers calling him names, flicking rubbers at him, barging into him in the corridors, taking his shoes, and stealing his bag, emptying the contents and kicking it about.

“Kids need a safe place to go and someone to deal with the perpetrators who constantly chip away at the people they’re bullying.

“Every Sunday night he’d beg me not to send him to school. Every school holiday he’d begin to count and start telling me how many days and hours he had left until he had to go back.

“He was so brave he used to go every day and try and stick up for himself.”

The teenager attended Y Pant Comprehensive School in Talbot Green.

The family feel there needs to be more support for families who are dealing with bullying and there needs to be better discipline across the board to deal with bullies.

Julie, 48, said: “A push in the corridor should lead to a week’s exclusion, and if the child bullies again that should lead to his parents being fined. If the child then bullies for a third time he or she should be moved to a place away from the school where the root of the problem can be found. You wouldn’t leave one bad apple in a bowl of good ones.

“In the goodbye note Simon wrote for me, he didn’t name a name, or blame anyone and most of all he knew in heaven there is only love, because God is love and love never fails.

“Our focus needs to be raising awareness of bullying and we can do that best by honouring what Simon would have done – the kind thing, the warm thing, the loving thing.

“I know that if he were alive today – he wouldn’t want blood and revenge – he’d just want peace.”

Since Simon’s death, Y Pant Comprehensive School has held an assembly, and letters have been sent to parents offering advice regarding helping children to deal with grief.

Mark Powell, the school’s headteacher, said: “We are all shocked and saddened by the death of Simon Brooks and our thoughts and sincere condolences are with his family and friends at this tragic time.

“We at the school and its wider community are struggling to come to terms with his sudden death and our main focuses at this time are to respect the wishes of his family and to support those pupils who have been affected.”

An RIP Simon Brooks Facebook page was also created shortly after his death and has so far received thousands of likes and scores of tributes.

A statement from South Wales Police said: “Police were called to an address in Tonyrefail on Friday (March 28) where a 15 year-old male required urgent medical assistance.

“He was taken to Royal Glamorgan Hospital and later transferred to the University Hospital of Wales where he died in the early hours of Tuesday, April 1.

“Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident which at this stage is not thought to be suspicious. A post mortem is due to be carried out.”

Speaking to Wales Online outside Y Pant School yesterday, 75-year-old grandmother from Llantwit Fardre said she also thinks more needs to be done about bullying in school.

She said: “My granddaughter was moved from her old school to Y Pant due to bullying. When she heard about Simon’s death she was very upset because I think she empathised with him and what he had gone through. Without a doubt something needs to be done about bullying as it’s a heartbreaking thing.

“If you asked me what can be done then I couldn’t say because it’s such a complex issue, but something needs to happen because the result of it has led to the waste of a young life.”

Joanne Causon, 39, from Llantrisant, who has also come across bullying, said: “My friend’s 13-year-old daughter was bullied and the teachers never did anything about it. She was able to get through it and her family dealt with it, but there needs to be more in place to deal with bullying for vulnerable people.”

Hundreds of comments have also been made on the Wales Online Facebook page lending support to Simon’s family and talking about the issue of bullying.

A comment from Chris Duffy said: “My heart goes out to Simon and his family. I would very much like to see the Government take more action on the issue of bullying at school, which seems commonplace and incredibly damaging to vulnerable children.”

A comment from Claire Fullick said: “I have experienced bullying in my family where we had to move the child to another school.

“The education system says that exclusion is not the way forward with these bullies as every child has the right to an education.

“I agree, but put them all in a ‘borstal’ style school, let them bully each other so they have some understanding what it feels like.

“God bless Simon, may your passing not be in vain. I hope that something is done about this now.”

Another comment from Marie Hopkins read: “My 11-year-old son has endured nearly four years of bullying – both physical and mental.

“He has been under a psychologist and now a psychiatrist and is on medication for anxiety and depression.

“I have done all I can to stop it. The school has done some things, but there’s mostly denial.

“I told my son to protect himself, but he has been afraid as the school punishes ‘retaliation’.

“I have told the school that I will find out the parents’ names and go to their house to sort it myself.

“After this they put a stop quick smart to the last bullies.

“It’s so hard watching a child inducing himself to vomit to get out of school and my heart breaks to send him.

“Words are weapons for sure.

“I am so sorry for your loss of Simon.”

Emma Harris also commented on the issue.

She said: “You usually find that when you speak to the bullies’ parents they have no respect for any other human either.

“This is a sad state of affair but it’s the parents who make these children bullies in the first place.”

While Mandy Collins said: “This makes me so angry.

“Bullying should be made into a criminal offence.

“Go after the parents of these bullies and mark my words they won’t be long stopping them from doing this. Make these bullies accountable.”

Cerianne Davies added: “This is heartbreaking. RIP Simon. It’s always the ones being bullied that feel forced into moving schools, have their education suffer and have little support from their school...it’s wrong. More needs to be done to tackle bullying.”