FIVE schoolboys have been found guilty of killing a man by pelting him with sticks and stones in front of his teenage son.

The sobbing youths, aged 12 to 14, were cradled by their parents as a jury at the Old Bailey found them unanimously guilty of Ernest Norton's manslaughter and of violent disorder.

Mr Norton, 67, collapsed after having sticks and stones thrown at him by a gang of laughing hoodies.

Son James, 17, watched him die in a pool of blood after they were targeted by up to 20 taunting yobs as they played cricket at Erith Leisure Centre.

Among them were the five schoolboys, who hurled stones and other missiles at the pair in a 10-minute attack.

Mr Norton went to confront them, but a stone, described as a half brick, hit him on the left temple. He collapsed and suffered a fatal heart attack on February 26 last year.

The jury of six men and six women took two days to reach a verdict following a five-week trial.

The boys, three aged 14, one 13 and the other 12, all of whom cannot be named for legal reasons, were released on conditional bail. Sentencing was adjourned until October 19 to allow probation reports to be prepared.

Judge Warwick McKinnon said: "I don't want this to be delayed. The defendants ought to know what their fate is and everyone wants to know what the sentence is going to be."