Image source, Patricia Stanley Image caption,

Sammy, who was autistic, died at the age of 13

By Ruth Clegg, Harriet Agerholm and Alison Benjamin

BBC News

Dozens of young autistic people have died after serious failings in their care despite repeated warnings from coroners, BBC News has found.

Our investigation found issues that were flagged a decade ago are still being warned about now.

Two bereaved mothers told us lessons had not been learned by their local health authority after the deaths of their teenage sons, two years apart.

The government says £4.2m is being invested to improve services.

Former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland described the findings as "deeply disturbing", and called for the government to investigate urgently.

In the first piece of research of its kind, the BBC combed through more than 4,000 Prevention of Future Death (PFD) notices delivered in England and Wales over the past 10 years.

Coroners are legally required to issue such warnings at inquests, if they believe there is a risk future deaths will occur unless action is taken by the authorities responsible. But there is currently no legal duty for them to act.