"You will always be in my heart": Tributes begin pouring in after death of Doncaster teenager

15-year-old Darius Popan was found on the Trans Pennine Trail near Sprotbrough on Saturday night and despite efforts of paramedics and police, died later in hospital.

Two 17-year-old boys and a 15-year-old girl have been arrested on suspicion over drugs offences over his death and remain in custody, South Yorkshire Police have said.

Darius, who is of Romanian origin and was also known as Dazza, has already become the subject of a fundraising campaign in his memory with tributes also coming in from family and friends.

One said: “Every tear that is shed, every sigh are signs of a love that will never fade.

"Darius will always be in my heart, living on through the precious memories and all that he meant to me.

“Although words cannot heal the wound, they can offer comfort and hope. I carry in my heart all the good moments, smiles and lessons we learned from each other. I let the memories be my lighthouse in the darkness of sadness.”

Another paid tribute to his Army cadet status, writing: “You will remain forever in our souls and hearts, our good and cheerful cadet Darius Dazza Popan.”

Another shared: “I lost a wonderful soul, a devoted friend and a precious family member. You will be greatly missed – we will always love you, rest in peace.”

Local store AN Highfields Premier Express and Post Office has already started a collection and a spokesperson said: “Taken far too soon at the young age of only 15 – such a polite happy young boy from the village.

“Every little helps at this sad time. I have his parents permission to do this. We are all thinking of each and everyone of his family friends an everyone that knew him.”

A balloon release in his memory has already been planned and is due to take place in Bentley Park from 5pm on August 4.

A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “We are appealing for information following the death of a teenager in Doncaster.

“On Saturday (27 July) at 7.47pm, a 15-year-old boy was found unwell on a section of the Trans Pennine Trail between Sprotbrough and Warmsworth.

“He was taken to hospital where in the early hours of Sunday morning he sadly died.

“Two 17-year-old boys and a 15-year-old girl have been arrested following the incident and remain in custody.

“We are aware there has been speculation on social media about the circumstances surrounding this incident and we would urge people to be mindful of our investigation and not to speculate on details of this incident.”

If you can help, you can pass information to police via online live chat, the online portal or by calling 101. Please quote incident number 1020 of 27 July 2024 when you get in touch.

You can access the online portal here: https://www.southyorkshire.police.uk/ro/report/

Alternatively, if you prefer not to give your personal details, you can stay anonymous and pass on what you know by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers. Call their UK Contact Centre on freephone 0800 555 111 or complete a simple and secure anonymous online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org.