Teenagers arrested after man found dead on bonfire in 'happy-slapping attack'

The body of Stephen Croft, 34, was discovered by firefighters in Wirral, Merseyside, after a member of the public reported the Guy Fawkes Night blaze.

As crews arrived to extinguish the bonfire, on grassland at the junction of Borough Road and Whetstone Lane in Birkenhead, his body was found in the embers.

He had suffered head injuries and severe burns.

A 13-year-old boy was arrested this morning and remains in custody for questioning. Police said tonight a 19-year-old man has also been arrested.

Detectives were investigating reports that Croft was beaten-up and pushed onto the fire in scenes recorded on mobile phone cameras.

The grim find of his blackened remains was made hours after an officially organised fire, attended by more than 100 people, at a YMCA centre on Merseyside.

Residents said he had been attacked by youths who re-started the bonfire after the event on spare ground near the YMCA in Whetstone Lane, Birkenhead.

One witness said that three teenagers were jeering at the man and had recorded footage of them throwing a burning log at him in a 'happy-slapping' assault.

The man's badly burned body was discovered by a security guard from the YMCA centre when the alarm was raised by one teenager in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Police sealed-off the area and where conducting forensic tests and door-to-door inquiries in the area near Birkenhad town centre.

Stephen, known locally as "Chezza", lived locally and was a devoted Everton fan.

Student Chris Jones, 18, described the victim as a happy man who always wore an Everton shirt.

He said: "Chezza was a happy soul and was well known in the community.

"He loved footy and it's very sad what happened to him.

"I saw three lads, aged about 14, talking to him as he sat on his own near the bonfire.

"They were jeering him and an argument broke out, then they threw a burning log at him and recorded it on their mobiles."

A YMCA spokeswoman said: "The centre organised the bonfire and it was a success with a good turnout.

"Everyone had a really good time and the fire was put out shortly after 10pm.

"It was fairly quiet for the next few hours - but one of our security guards ran in to raise the alarm when he found a body on the bonfire.

"It's terrible to think that such a happy night could end in tragedy."

A Home Office post-mortem will be carried out today to determine exactly what injuries killed the victim.

A Merseyside Police spokeswoman said: "The man's body had suffered severe burns and the post mortem was therefore expected to be complex.

"What the fire service saw was horrific.

"Head injuries the deceased sustained indicate he may have been subjected to some kind of assault before his death.

"A thirteen year old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder but that is not to say that he will be charged with that offence.

"We need to build up a picture of what has lead to this death, and we ask anyone who was in the Whetstone Lane area at the time of the attack to come forward.