MORE than 1,000 people have posted online tributes to a 16-year-old Blackburn boy who is said to have killed himself.

But baffled police have launched an investigation because they have no knowledge of the teenager or his death.

More than 1,700 young people have joined a Facebook page for ‘RIP Jaydon Rothwell’ in the last two days - yet officers say there has been no reported suicides or deaths of young people.

Hundreds of tributes have been paid to ‘Jaydon’ but officers are looking into whether the site is a ‘fabrication’, police said.

Many of the comments from people on the social networking site are from local people who do not know ‘Jaydon’ but have heard news of a teenager’s death.

They also want to trace ‘Jaydon’ - if he exists - to check on his welfare.

The Facebook page appears to suggest he lives in Mill Hill.

Officers are also attempting to speak to those behind the Facebook tribute page.

A police spokesman said: “Blackburn police are looking into this to try to get to the bottom of it.”

PCSOs in the Mill Hill area have been stopped on the street by concerned residents asking about the rumours.

When the Lancashire Telegraph asked people in Mill Hill on Thursday, shopkeepers had heard different rumours.

The presence of police tape outside the Spar shop in New Chapel Street also added to speculation.

Officers had sealed the area off as a result of a sexual assault report, which was later found to be unfounded.

One local funeral director said he had been told a 16-year-old had died, possibly after being stabbed.

Meanwhile an off-licence worker said everyone was talking about news posted on the internet.

One shop worker said a teenager had drunk himself to death while others had simply heard that a 16-year-old had killed himself.

The coroner's office said no file had been passed to them and local councillors said they had not been made aware of the death.