Police detain mother after girl, 2, falls to her death

A 36-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murdering her two-year-old daughter who died after falling from a house in England.

West Yorkshire Police confirmed they launched a murder inquiry following the death of the unnamed youngster who was found unconscious with her mother outside a house in Delamere Street, in the West Bowling area of Bradford, yesterday.

A spokesman said both were taken to hospital where the girl died a short time later and her mother remains in a critical condition.

The spokesman said: "Police have launched a murder investigation following the death of a two-year-old girl in Bradford.

“The girl and a 36-year-old woman were found unconscious outside an address in Delamere Street at around 9.15am yesterday.

“Both were taken to hospital, but the child sadly died a short time later.

“The woman remains in hospital, where she is in a critical condition.

“A post-mortem was carried out last night, which revealed that the girl died of injuries consistent with a fall.

“A 36-year-old woman, who police can confirm is the child’s mother, has been arrested on suspicion of murder.”

Detective Chief Inspector Jon Morgan, added: “We are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident, but are appealing for anyone with information to contact the police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.”

This morning, a single bunch of flowers had been laid outside the modern end-terrace house, just off the busy Manchester Road in the city.

Police community support officers were guarding the property and a white forensics tent had been erected in the small back garden.

People living in the quiet street said they were shocked by what had happened.

Neighbour Masood Rana said he noticed a window cleaner and another neighbour in the garden of the house when he returned from the school run yesterday.

“I went inside and, after about 10 or five minutes, I heard a sort of banging noise and I looked outside and saw the police and paramedics here,” Mr Rana, 47, said.

“After about 10 minutes I saw a body being carried out – a little baby – into an ambulance.

“After another five minutes or 10 minutes, there was a lady taken out of the house into an ambulance.”

Mr Rana said he was not sure whether the two people were taken into the ambulance from the house or the garden as there were a lot of people around.

“It’s really sad,” he said. “It’s a tragic incident what happened.

“I don’t know if the lady’s got family here. My initial thoughts go to the family. It’s really sad.

“We are all shocked and we’re all asking each other ’Who lives there?’.”

Mr Rana said he and his neighbours believed the house was empty and his attention was drawn to the window cleaner and neighbour because he thought they might be prospective buyers.

“As far as I knew, the last tenants had moved out of the house and the house was empty,” he said.

“I was shocked that somebody was in there.

“It is sad. Everybody is shocked. I’m a father of four and my children are shocked as well.”

Labour councillor for Little Horton Sher Khan described the incident as “unbelievable”.

He told the Telegraph and Argus that neighbours who live in the street said the girl had fallen from an upstairs window of a terraced house and the woman had fallen afterwards.

“The family had just recently moved into the area,” he said.

“It’s unbelievable. Apparently, the woman had recently moved from somewhere else – another city – to this area. My understanding is that nobody knew her that well.

“It happened at about 9.15am. Everyone is so shocked.”