14-year-old turns himself in after alleged Bradley Lowery taunt at Coventry match

A 14-year-old boy has handed himself to West Midlands police after a video appeared to show a Coventry City supporter using a photograph of Bradley Lowery to taunt Sunderland fans during Saturday’s Premier League fixture between Coventry and Sunderland. West Midlands police said officers were aware of the footage and had begun a thorough investigation. The force said the boy would be spoken to in due course and that officers were working with both clubs while keeping Bradley’s family informed.

The reports did not state whether the teenager had been arrested or charged. Coventry City said it was investigating the footage and would cooperate with the relevant authorities. The club said it did not tolerate offensive behaviour and would help determine the appropriate response once the circumstances had been examined.

Bradley Lowery was a Sunderland supporter who became widely known after being diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer. He died aged six in 2017. His story had drawn widespread attention from the football community, and his family established the Bradley Lowery Foundation to raise funds and awareness and support children.

Bradley’s mother, Gemma Lowery, said the use of a photograph of her son had caused profound distress. In a statement issued through the foundation, she said he should be remembered with love rather than hate. She described the image as one of her favourite photographs and said it showed a happy moment from a childhood largely marked by cancer treatment.

Gemma Lowery said she supported football banter but questioned how mocking a child who had died from cancer could be treated as part of it. She also asked that the club take suitable action and that the boy’s family help him understand the harm caused by his actions. At the same time, she urged people not to target the teenager with hatred.

Her statement said she wanted him to learn from what had happened and emphasised that behind the photograph was a child deeply loved by his family, who continued to grieve him. The incident was reported after footage circulated on social media from the match. The available material does not describe the full content of the video, identify the precise location within the stadium or establish what disciplinary measures either club may take.

The Guardian reported the age as 14, matching the police account cited in its report. TalkSPORT and other outlets used similarly strong descriptions of the alleged taunt, but the police statement itself confirmed only that officers were investigating a video and that the boy had handed himself in. The inquiry therefore remains ongoing.

Police are assessing the footage and speaking with the teenager, while Coventry City and Sunderland are involved in the response. No final finding about intent, criminal liability or football sanctions had been reported in the supplied material.