Manchester: Mother questioned after baby and toddler deaths

A 21-year-old mother was being held in the UK today on suspicion of murdering her baby and toddler.

The bodies of the three-month-old boy and the boy of three were discovered at a property in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester just before 6pm yesterday.

Officers were alerted to the grim find at the house in Kilmington Drive after reports of “concern for welfare” were made.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “A 21-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in police custody for questioning.

“An investigation is currently under way into the circumstances surrounding (the children’s) deaths.”

The Manchester Evening News reported that the children received fatal stab wounds to the chest, but a spokesman for the force said he was “unable to confirm or deny the reports”.

The house remained cordoned off this morning with several police officers standing outside, while forensic experts carried out a detailed examination of the property.

Neighbours spoke of their distress at what had taken place.

One woman, who lives on the street, said: “It’s heart-breaking, just tragic - hard to believe.”

A mother living nearby said: “It’s shocking. People think Cheetham Hill is a bad estate and bad area anyway, but for that to happen to children, that’s the worst thing.”

Another said the woman who was arrested had been living at the property for only around six months.

Cheetham Hill, an area undergoing regeneration with a large proportion of council housing, is around two miles north of Manchester city centre.