Investigation launched into the death of a baby girl

Update 11.35am, 8 March

Two people arrested following the death of a baby girl have been released under investigation.

Our enquiries into the tragic case are continuing, but we can now say that we believe the three-month-old girl, who will not be named, died after sustaining injuries from an attack by a dog.

The incident happened in the car park area of Ostler’s Plantation near Woodhall Spa.

We believe the breed to be a Husky dog, and the animal is currently in isolation in kennels while forensic examinations are carried out.

This remains a live investigation, and we are continuing to determine the circumstances which led to the baby girl’s death, and ask people not to speculate while we make those enquiries.

 

Original release:

We are saddened to report that a three-month-old baby girl has died following an incident with a dog at Ostler's Plantation, near to Woodall Spa.

The incident was reported to us by the East Midlands Ambulance Service at 11.13pm yesterday evening (6 March). We have opened an investigation into the death.

A 40-year-old woman and a 54-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog which was out of control, and remain in police custody.

Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Cox said: “This is an exceptionally sad incident, and one that we know will impact the local community, or indeed anyone hearing about it. There may be a temptation to speculate about what happened while people attempt to understand this tragedy, and we’d ask people to avoid doing so, particularly on social media where facts can become distorted. We will do everything we can to establish what has happened, and we’d like to thank everyone for their support.”

Reference: Incident 432 of 6 March