The parents of tragic Reece Tansey has spoke out following the murder verdict reached by a jury.

In a statement released through Greater Manchester Police mum Laura Tansey and dad Ian Nice said :"Reece was our 15 year old son, he made us smile, he made us laugh, he made us tear our hair out at times, a typical teenage lad, but he was ours.

"Reece was fiercely protective of his mum and his little brother, and saw himself as the man of the house. His dad saw him as his best friend. Reece was simply our world, and his death has devastated us beyond belief.

"When Reece was born, never did we imagine that in 15 short wonderful years later, his life would be taken in an act of violence that is beyond comprehension. Instead of planning his 16th birthday, preparing and guiding Reece into adulthood, we found ourselves preparing for Reece's funeral and having to explain to his little brother why Reece would never be coming home.

"Reece had his whole life ahead of him, he had so much to look forward to, so many memories to make. On that day, not only was Reece's life taken, but so was ours, the news that Reece had been killed simply drained the life from us and we will never be the same again. We will never come to terms with the senselessness of it all. The pain is almost physical.

"Nothing will ever bring Reece back to us, but we ask that his death not be in vain. Let Reece's death and the circumstances surrounding it, be used to educate young people about the consequences of carrying knives.

"We would like to thank the two men who came upon Reece that morning, and came to his assistance, for the reassurance they gave him when he was at the end of his life. For that we are thankful."