A GRIEVING mother today made an emotional appeal for help in solving the mystery of her son's death and said: "I just want justice for Jason."

Pauline Box said she could not to terms with her son's death until she knew exactly what had happened to him.

Father-of-two Jason Terry Box, 29, of Pleasington Grove, Burnley, died in hospital following an alleged assault and police have now launched an investigation.

Jason, a keen mechanic, was admitted to Burnley General Hospital on July 1 after an ambulance was called to an address in Waddington Avenue.

The former Heasandford and Barden High School pupil died on July 25 having never regained consciousness.

Detectives are trying to establish whether the alleged assault was connected to Jason's death. Police were only informed of the alleged assault after Jason had been in hospital for two weeks, when hospital staff expressed concern about the nature of his injuries.

Two local people have been arrested and released on police bail while detectives carry out further inquiries. No inquest or funeral has yet taken place.

Mrs Box, who lives with her two other sons, David, 26, and Lee, 28, appealed for anyone who may have known what happened to Jason in the hours leading up to the alleged assault should call the police.

She said: "All I want is justice for Jason and to find out what happened so we can start to come to terms with his death. I'd appeal for anyone who knows anything to get in touch with the police."

Jason's brother David added: "At the moment this is a big mystery and until we find out how Jason died we can't put an end to it and start to grieve properly.

"Lots of people would have known Jason especially for his love of cars, he just loved tinkering around with them. Somebody must know something that can help us solve this mystery."

Det Chief Insp Tony Ronnan, who is leading the investigation, said: "We are treating this as an unexplained death and we are working in stages to try and find out exactly what has happened.

"We are trying to establish the movements of Jason on the weekend of June 29 and 30 and although it was a long time ago a significant event was the World Cup final, which might jog a few people's memories.

"Jason was well known on the Brunshaw estate, the town centre and Duke bar areas and we would like to speak to anybody who saw him over that weekend or who has any information which they think could be relevant to his death."

He added that it would be "some weeks" before the results of forensic and pathology tests were known.