Adam became the youngest person to die in British custody when he hanged himself aged 14 at the Hassockfield Secure Training Centre, County Durham, in August 2004.

His mother, Mrs Carol Pounder, organised a peaceful protest march yesterday, Adam's birthday, from her home in Greenock Close to Burnley Magistrates' Court.

The jury at the inquest into his death returned a verdict of suicide in June, but Mrs Pounder branded the hearing a "whitewash".

Speaking on the court steps, she demanded answers. "Every breath I take on this earth I will seeks answers," she said. "The inquest raised more questions than it did answers and all the evidence was not heard by the jury.

"Adam was lifted by his arms and legs by five large men. He was 5ft. 1in. and weighed 8st. What they called restraining a child I call beating a child. What happened on that day was sickening and I believe it drove Adam to take his own life. If I had done that to Adam I would have ended up in court."

Mrs Pounder added that her solicitors are seeking a judicial review in the High Court.

The coroner at Adam's inquest called for an urgent review into the use of restraint techniques at secure training centres. He heard that hours before he was found hanged from a curtain rail, Adam had been restrained by four officers, and was left bloodied after a "nose distraction technique" - no longer used at Hassockfield - was used to stop him struggling.

Mrs Pounder added: "I want the Government to know there will be more child deaths in custody if changes are not made to the way children are dealt with.

"If I can save another child's life and stop another family going through what we have then I will have achieved something. I will not stop working for Adam and if it takes me 20 years to get justice then so be it."