‘Murder’ arrest as body of boy, 15, found in lane
HEARTBROKEN friends last night paid tribute to a 15-year-old boy who was found dead on the outskirts of an affluent village.
Police launched a murder inquiry after Alex Rodda’s body was discovered by a field near a quiet lane on the edge of Ashley, near Hale, Cheshire, on Friday morning. An 18- year- old man f rom nearby Knutsford was arrested on suspicion of his murde rand last night remained in police custody.
Alex was active on social media and posted numerous pictures of himself appearing feminine. Some pictures on Instagram showed the shape of breasts underneath his T-shirt, while others showed him wearing trousers that accentuated his hips.
Devastated friends yesterday left flowers at a farm near where Alex’s body was found.
‘Heartbroken is an understatement,’ one friend wrote on Facebook yesterday. ‘Words cannot describe how we are feeling. We will always love you and will never forget that infectious smile that lit up a room and brightened everybody’s day. Shine bright up there. We will miss you. Our thoughts are with your mum, brother and rest of the family.’
Alex, known as Roddaz by friends, was a pupil at Holmes Chapel Comprehensive, a high-performing state school where pop star Harry Styles once studied.
In a statement on the school’s website, head teacher Denis Oliver said: ‘It is with great sadness that I need to inform you of the death of Alex Rodda, a student in Year 11.
‘There has been much speculation on social media, however the circumstances around Alex’s death are subject to an ongoing police investigation and we have been asked by them not to comment further at this stage.
‘We will continue to co-operate fully with any requests from the police.
‘The safety and wellbeing of our students is our priority. Alex will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him within our close-knit school family. Our deepest sympathies, thoughts and prayers are with Alex’s family and friends at this very sad time.’
It is the second tragedy to hit the school in less than three years. Nell Jones, a 14- year- old pupil at the school, was one of 22 people who died in the Manchester Arena terror attack in May 2017. A memorial garden for the teenager was opened at the school last year.
Ashley is a prosperous village in an area south of Manchester where Premier League footballers regularly set up home. Ashley Mill Lane is lined with large detached properties worth more than £1 million.
Forensic officers and search dogs were yesterday combing through a large area of woodland near where Alex’s body was found.
A ‘missing person’ appeal for information about Alex had been shared widely on social media before the tragic discovery on Friday.
Detective Chief Inspector Simon Blackwell, of Cheshire Police, appealed f or anyone with any information or footage that could be relevant to the investigation to come forward.
He added: ‘We are in the very early stages of our investigation into Alex’s death, which we are treating as a murder. I would like to reassure the community that this is believed to be an isolated incident and we are doing everything we can to establish exactly what has taken place.’