The tragic case of the little boy who lost the spark in his eye - and the unanswered questions on what social services knew before his mum killed him

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

"He had this really solemn, sad look on his face." A man who once laughed and joked with an adorable five-year-old who lived on his street wipes away a tear.

He's recalling the last time he saw him. "He was a lovely little boy. Something had changed." Once full of happiness and energy, Dylan spent his final weeks miserable, caught in the middle of a bitter parental rift.

Neighbours knew something was wrong. Concerns had been reported to the authorities. Social services had been called. Months later, Dylan's life ended in tragic circumstances. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features This week - as his mother Claire Scanlon, 38, was convicted of murdering her son by poisoning him with anti-depressants and jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years - neighbours revealed their fears for that once-cheerful young boy in the months leading up to his death. "I used to tease him whenever I saw him," an elderly neighbour told the Manchester Evening News. "I saw him almost every day. "I would say 'hi, Dylan' and stick my tongue out at him.

He would do the same and stick his tongue out at me. "The last time I saw him - it must have been a few days before - I said 'hi, Dylan' and stuck my tongue out at him, but he didn't do it back.