Sheffield Wednesday and police are investigating after two fans appeared to mock a young Sunderland fan who died from cancer in 2017. 

Two people were pictured holding up a phone showing the six-year-old Bradley Lowery’s face as they laughed following the club’s 3-0 Championship defeat to Sunderland.

Bradley was a mascot for England and Sunderland and struck up a close friendship with striker Jermain Defoe, who called him his “best mate”.

He suffered from rare childhood cancer neuroblastoma, which was diagnosed when he was 18 months old.

Sheffield Wednesday said they had launched an investigation with South Yorkshire Police.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the club wrote: “We roundly condemn this outrageous and utterly deplorable behaviour. We can only apologise for the undoubted distress caused to Bradley’s family and friends.”

South Yorkshire Police confirmed they were investigating “public order offences” in a post on X directly under a picture widely circulated of the two fans. They were working with the club on identifying the men and appealed for anyone with information to get in touch.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

More from Sky News:
Bride and groom ‘numb’ after blaze kills wedding guests
School bus driver who died had ‘medical issues’ at wheel

The Bradley Lowery Foundation, a charity set up by Bradley’s mother, shared the photos on Facebook, saying they were “so sad for me to see”.

“Whatever happened to ‘cancer has no colours’ let alone respect for a family that lost their baby to cancer.”

The Sheffield Wednesday FC Women’s Supporters Group launched a fundraiser for the charity in response to the photos.

“We won’t let the abhorrent actions of a few define our club,” they wrote on X.

Related posts:

More surge testing in Ealing as additional South Africa variant cases detected Missing Oxford student has chronic condition and was ‘struggling to cope’ with shielding, mum says Woman handed life sentence for murdering partner with steak knife after retrial Hospital worker on COVID ward used dead patient’s bank card to buy crisps, sweets and fizzy drinks NHS staff could soon be made exempt from COVID self-isolation rules if ‘pinged’ by the app Shoppers bringing forward Christmas purchases due to supply chain worries – poll One in five women suffer unwanted physical attention at football matches, survey finds British troops must prepare to fight in Europe once again, says new head of Army I flew back from US to stop lockdown, claims Sunak George Osborne and fiancee ‘really upset’ by ‘poison pen’ email on eve of wedding Royal Navy recruitment fall ‘could hamper ability to man nuclear deterrent’ Football fans warned they face bans if they mock Hillsborough disaster or Munich air crash