A MOTHER jumped 180 feet to her death with her young autistic son from a County Durham footbridge, police said today.

The bodies of 38-year-old Helen Rogan and her 11-year-old son, Mark Owen Young, were discovered yesterday by a relative on a footpath under the bridge.

The alarm was raised after a taxi which regularly took the youngster to a special needs school failed to get an answer at their home.

Durham Constabulary today said the discovery of the bodies, which shocked even hardened officers, was being treated as an unlawful killing and a suicide.

The bodies were discovered at the foot of Gill Bridge, near Moorside, County Durham, yesterday morning.

Detective Superintendent Harry Stephenson said today: "All our inquiries so far indicate this was a very close and loving relationship between a mother and son."

Miss Rogan was a qualified occupational therapist. She had given up her job to dedicate herself to her son after his father left a few years ago.

"It would seem Miss Rogan was finding it difficult to cope with her personal circumstances, but despite all that she seemed devoted to her son and prepared to do anything for him. "Obviously it will be for the coroner to decide on how Miss Rogan and her son met their deaths. "However, at this stage we have no reason to treat this as anything other than an unlawful killing and a suicide."