Boy (10) kills four-year-old with a skipping rope

A ten-year-old boy in Sweden has confessed to killing a four-year-old boy by strangling him with a skipping rope after an argument.

Officers said the youngster had confessed after a 59-day investigation into the death of the youngster, named Texas, in the southern village of Ljungby.

The four-year-old disappeared on October 16 from the courtyard outside the flats where he lived.

According to Swedish news reports, he had been in a fight with several other children who had chased him out of a play area.

His body was found a few hours later in a nearby wooded area.

More than 35 officers joined the investigation into the death and at least 65 children, aged between five and 15, were questioned.

"The difficulty with this investigation has been that the evidence was found with children and that was a very difficult situation to handle," said lead investigator Yvonne Rudinsson.

The 10-year-old was reportedly identified as a suspect early in the investigation and then later confessed.

Robert Loeffel, head of information at the Kronoberg county police, said: "The boy has told us what he did and how he did it and there is a confession in that.

"As far as I am concerned, the crime is solved."

Kronoberg police chief Anders Kjaersgaard said: "My hope is that, now that the crime has been resolved, it will help everyone who is in one way or another involved in this very tragic event to move forward in their painful grief."

Children under the age of 15 cannot be punished under Swedish law, so the case of the 10-year-old will be handled by social services.