A 43-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after two young children were found dead at a home in Stafford. The victims have been identified as Meraj Ul Zahra, aged two, and Abdul Momin Alfaateh, aged three.
Police were called to the property on Sunday morning, where the children were discovered unresponsive with injuries. They were pronounced dead at the scene. Their next of kin have been informed and are receiving support from specially trained officers.
The suspect, from the Stafford area, remains in custody. The case has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to prior contact between the family and police.
An IOPC spokesperson said: 'We were notified by Staffordshire police of the death of two children in Stafford on Sunday 12 October where there was recent police contact prior to their death. We understand a referral is being made by the force, which once received, we will assess before deciding whether further action may be required by us.'
Detective Inspector Kirsty Oldfield urged the public not to speculate, stating: 'We are working hard to understand more about what happened leading up to these two children tragically losing their lives. We ask that people do not speculate at this stage as it is distressing for family and friends and could hinder our inquiries.'
Police have reassured the community that there is no wider threat to the public.
