THE police’s arrest of the Lancashire Hotpots drummer formed part of an investigation that started when an 11-year-old St Helens girl hit the panic button on an instant messaging chat website, the Star has learned.

College lecturer Tom McGrath, 38, known as Willie Eckerslike in the four-strong St Helens-based comedy folk band, was discovered hanged at his home in Nutgrove last week.

It emerged he was on police bail after being arrested on suspicion of inciting children to commit sexual activities.

It is understood police have been looking into allegations that a man had posed as a 17-year-old boy on Facebook and began entering online discussions with young girls.

It is believed they were also examining online conversations on instant messaging websites and web cams.

The mother of the alleged victim has told the Star her daughter had raised the alarm while chatting with a ‘friend’ MSN’s instant messaging site’s webcam.

The youngster had believed she was speaking to a 17-year-old boy called Mark, whom she had met on Facebook.

But at some stage in the discussions she hit the MSN panic button which sends an alert to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.

An investigation was launched resulting in police suspecting a man had set up the bogus identity of the teenager, Mark.

The mother said this week her daughter had not discussed what happened online until the police made contact.

She said: “The first I heard about this was when the police contacted me to say my daughter had used the panic button. She had not told me about it.

“Apparently a man had set up the account of a boy called Mark on Facebook and a lot of girls had added him as a friend.

“It seems my daughter then started chatting to him on MSN and got really scared at some point and so she hit the panic button.

“Months later they made an arrest and then last week police from CID contacted me to say a man they were investigating had died.

“They say their investigation will continue.”

Mr McGrath had been suspended from his job as a St Helens College music lecturer after the police allegations came to light.

His computer was seized last month as part of a police inquiry.

A police statement read: “Merseyside Police can confirm that a 38-year-old man from St Helens who was arrested in April on suspicion of inciting children to commit sexual activities, has died.

“His body was found on Tuesday, May 11 at his home in St Helens. The death is not being treated as suspicious and has been referred to the coroner.

“At the time of his death the man was on police bail.”

An inquest into his death was opened and adjourned on Friday.

St Helens College, meanwhile, confirmed Mr McGrath had been suspended following the arrest, however, it is not believed the allegations involve his students.

News that he had been under investigation by police surfaced after the Star’s website reported he had died last week.

Prior to those allegations the band released a statement which read: “The sudden death of a friend is never easy to comprehend, when it’s someone who has profoundly affected your life since the minute you met him, then it hits you all the harder.

“Our thoughts are understandably with his family at this incredibly difficult time.”

A spokesperson for the band said forthcoming dates at Nuneaton and Cambridge had been cancelled.

However, the Hotpots have dates scheduled for the rest of the summer.

Their quirky tunes – which include plenty of homespun lyrics – have searned a growing national following.

The band’s previous theatre tour played to sell-out audiences across the North West.

They have previously supported ardent fan Paddy McGuinness on his tour, taking in 18 dates, performing to more than 20,000 people.

They have earned national radio play and support from BBC R2 Chris Evans, 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq and BBC R1’s Colin Murray.