Murder arrest after baby dies in horror fall

A murder investigation has been launched and a woman arrested after the death of an 18-day-old baby in London. At around 7.30am on Saturday, March 14, officers attended Horseferry Road, Westminster, following reports that a baby had fallen from a height from a residential property.

A 43-year-old woman was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder. She was taken into police custody, where she remains. The baby was taken to hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Detective Chief Inspector Alison Foxwell, who is leading the Met's investigation, said: “Our thoughts today are with the baby’s family.

“The death of an infant is always an extremely tragic occurrence, and officers are making urgent enquiries around the circumstances.

“At this stage, we believe the incident occurred within a domestic context, but we are appealing for anybody with information to come forward.”

The police cordon covered most of Great Peter Street, which is just off Horseferry Road, on Saturday evening.

An officer in a blue forensics suit was seen in a grey van parked partway down the road, which was closed to traffic.

Passers-by were diverted around the taped cordon. Two forensics officers could be seen working in a third floor flat in the Peabody Estate. A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service said the baby was treated at the scene before being taken to a major trauma centre.

Anybody who witnessed the incident is urged to call 101, quoting reference 1596/14MAR.