No evidence that Archie Battersbee was taking part in online ‘blackout challenge’

A full inquest, due to last one day, has been set for February 7, 2023

Archie Battersbee (Hollie Dance/PA)

A coroner has said he has seen no evidence that Archie Battersbee was taking part in a viral online ‘blackout challenge’ as a hearing was told that police have found messages on the 12-year-old’s phone reflecting “very low mood”.

The details emerged on Tuesday at a pre-inquest review hearing in Chelmsford, England, where Archie’s mother, Hollie Dance, urged Essex’s senior coroner, Lincoln Brookes, to examine what role TikTok videos and a viral internet challenge may have played in his tragic death this summer.