A teenage boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of a nine-year-old girl in Weston-super-Mare, police have said.
Officers were called by paramedics to a property in the North Somerset town just after 6pm on Monday, Avon and Somerset police said.
The first officer arrived at the scene at 6.12pm and a teenage boy was arrested in nearby Worle at 6.19pm. Police said he remained in custody, arrested on suspicion of murder.
Supt Jen Appleford said: “We know the whole of Weston-super-Mare will be distraught and shocked to learn of this utterly dreadful news.
“The girl’s family were informed last night of what had happened. It is impossible for us to adequately put into words the pain and anguish they are feeling right now. Our heartfelt condolences go out to them, and we’ll ensure they receive support from a specially trained officer.
“A criminal investigation is already well under way to establish the facts of this case. The formal identification process has not yet been completed, and a postmortem examination will also be conducted.”
A police cordon remains in place in Lime Close at the property while the police investigation continues and house-to-house inquiries take place.
Appleford added: “We have no doubt the community will come together as one in response to this tragedy.
“Inquiries are being carried out at the property as part of our investigation and we’d ask for people’s patience and understanding while that work is undertaken.
“We will ensure our officers are available to provide reassurance and support to all. There will be an increased police presence in the area in the coming days, and we urge anyone with concerns to please speak to us, however, we’d like to reassure people we are not aware of there being any increased risk to public safety.”
