Pupils at Tiffin School took part in a whole school assembly this morning, January 10, to remember  student Conor O’Donoghue, whose body was found in the Thames on January 8.

Conor, 17, who lived in Richmond, was found exactly one month after he went missing on December 8 on Kew Bridge – where he was last seen by a friend at 3.30am.

Headteacher Hilda Clarke said: “The school is very saddened by the news. It is very tragic. His poor, poor parents - it is so devastating. Everybody always lived with hope.”

Miss Clarke sent a letter to parents of Tiffin students on January 9, after hearing the news of Conor’s death.

She wrote: “I wrote in my Newsletter in late December about Conor O’Donoghue in year 13 who had gone missing just before Christmas. We received the tragic news of his death this morning, when we were informed that he had been found in the river at Chiswick Bridge late yesterday afternoon.”

She wrote that Conor, who lived in Richmond, joined Tiffin’s sixth form in 2011 and did very well in his first year, showing promise of fulfilling his ambitions to study physics at university.

She wrote: “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very sad and distressing time. I know that you as parents and the wider Tiffin community will want to share with us in sending our deepest sympathy to Conor’s parents.”

Tributes to Conor poured in on Twitter, as friends of the teenager paid their respects.

Jake Barlow wrote: “RIP Conor O’Donoghue, scary to think one moment we were in the studio together and now your gone. Miss you bud x.”

Peter No Tweeted: “R.I.P Conor O’Donoghue I fully hope that your family and friends will recover! You will be remembered by the school!”

Joshua Somerville wrote: “Horrific news about Conor O’Donoghue and can’t imagine how his family are feeling. Gives some perspective #RIP.”

SJ Tweeted: “RIP Conor o’donoghue. You will be missed by lots of people. A tragic end and a lovely boy. My sympathies to Tim & Brid and Conors sister.”

The same day Conor’s body was found in the Thames at about 4.30pm on January 8, the body of another young male was recovered by the RNLI near Putney Bridge at 8am.

Station manager for Chiswick RNLI Wayne Bellamy, who was onboard the lifeboat for both of the recoveries, said: “I cannot image what this time must be like for the families of these two young men, not knowing where they may be, and I truly hope that now we have found them, we have helped in some way.”

Conor had spent the night out with friends in Camden shortly before he went missing and posters were put up across London to help with the search.

A post-mortem examination of the body found near Barnes, believed to be Conor’s, was due to take place at Fulham Mortuary when this paper went to press and a formal identification had not yet been made.

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