By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent
The parents of a 17-year-old who were not told he had been arrested for drink driving days before he killed himself are calling for a change in the law.
Nick and Jane Lawton handed a petition carrying 52,000 signatures in to Downing Street where they met with David Cameron.
They claim there is an anomaly in the law that means 17-year-olds are treated as adults when arrested but children when charged.
Joseph shot himself after he was arrested for drink driving This means police do not have to tell parents when they are taken into custody or give them the chance to have an adult with them during interviews.
Joseph Lawton, an only child, had just passed his driving test when he went to a party near his home in Disley, near Stockport.
He had taken the train but decided to drive back from the station.
His father Nick told Sky News: "He made a bad decision and he chose to drive and he was stopped and breathalysed. He failed the breathalyser and he was arrested."
His parents thought he was staying the night with friends and were not contacted by police.
When Joseph returned home, he did not mention what had happened and had told his friends he had got away with it.
But three nights later, when he was alone at home, he shot himself with a gun from the family farm. Mr Lawton found his body in the sitting room.
His wife Jane said: "The charge sheet was in front of him, telling us that was why he'd done what he did; and that was the first thing that we knew."
His parents believe he could be alive today if the law had been different Joseph left notes for his parents, best friend and girlfriend. His father said: "When we read his letters eventually they confirmed it. He just thought that he'd closed the door to his future.
"But when you think that if we'd had a phone call from the police while he was in the police station - one phone call - I'd have been straight down there.
"I would have spoken to him - I would have told him, supported him, told him that it's not the end of everything - 'you're still going to university, you'll still get a job. Things might be a little bit more difficult but at the end of the day we'll be able to get through it'.
"But we weren't given that opportunity."
Mrs Lawton added: "We firmly believe that if Joe had contacted us, if we'd have been able to speak to him, he'd still be alive today."
The Lawtons are being supported by the parents of Edward Thornber, who killed himself aged 17 after he was summoned to court for possessing cannabis worth 50p.
Lawyer Shauneene Lambe, who works for the charity Just For Kids Law, told Sky News: "As it stands, at the moment, 17-year-olds are treated as if they are adults when they go to the police station.
"If they are sent to court, if they were charged for example, they would go back to being treated like children in the court system. So there's an anomaly within the police station, that we believe should be changed."
The Home Office said: "The welfare of anyone remanded in custody is considered at every stage of the process.
"Existing laws ensure a proper level of care is provided with special provisions in place for young and vulnerable people."
A judicial review into the issue is ongoing.
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