THE schoolboy who was found dead in his tent at Reading Festival had tied a plastic carrier bag around his head, a coroner heard today.

Seventeen-year-old Matthew Jones had left the main festival arena on his own and walked across a bridge over the River Thames to the white zone camping area.

The inquest opening heard Matthew was found by friends who went to his tent to check on him at about 2am.

He was motionless and unresponsive, with the plastic carrier bag tied tightly over his head. He was not breathing.

However, the coroner heard that a post mortem examination carried out on Matthew's body by a pathologist was unable to discover an exact cause of death.

A full inquest next year will determine the full circumstances surrounding his dead.

The coroner sitting at Oxfordshire Coroner's Court heard how on Sunday August 27 tragic young Matthew, from Albany Road, Leighton Buzzard had left the main arena and gone back to the campsite on his own.

He was pronounced dead by paramedics at 2.17am on Monday August 28. His body was taken to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where his parents, Sophie and Steven, identified him.

Oxfordshire Coroner Darren Salter read out a report from a Detective Constable working on the case.

He said: "A 17-year-old gentleman was at Reading Festival with friends.

"On Sunday August 27 he left the main arena and went back to the campsite.

"Later, in the early hours of the following day, his friends went to check on him in his tent next to theirs.

"At 01.55am they discovered a carrier bag tied over his head in his tent. He was unresponsive and not breathing."

Due to the circumstances, there was a post-mortem examination but there was not enough evidence to conclude a cause of death.

The inquest into Matthew's death will be resumed on January 10.

Thames Valley Police has already ruled out any third party involvement.

A spokesman previously said: “There is no cause for concern for surrounding festival-goers. I would like to thank nearby campers for their co-operation whilst we are in attendance.

“We will continue to provide support to the boy’s family at this difficult time.”