A couple from Barrow-in-Furness have been arrested on suspicion of murdering a one-year-old boy they were in the process of adopting.
Cumbria Police said a 37-year-old woman and a 34-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of murder, causing or allowing the death of a child, and two counts of assault.
Cumbria County Council said the child was under its care but had been living with the couple before the adoption. The council added that it had recommended an independent safeguarding review.
The North West Ambulance Service was called on 6 January, and the child was taken to Furness General Hospital before being transferred to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool. Detective Chief Superintendent Dean Holden said: "Two people have been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into the tragic death of a one-year-old boy in Barrow."
The council confirmed that a final adoption order had not yet been granted by the courts, but noted that the Adoption and Children Act 2002 requires a child to live with prospective adoptive parents for a period before such an order can be made.
