Woman arrested after eight-year-old girl dies in Portsmouth balcony fall | England

An eight-year-old girl has died after apparently falling from a balcony in a tower block in Portsmouth.

A 43-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of child neglect and was being questioned by police about the fall at Pickwick House, to which police and paramedics were called at 6.50pm on Thursday. About a dozen police cars were seen parked outside the 11-storey block of flats and a wide cordon was in place.

A sheet was put up around the girl while paramedics from the South Central ambulance service treated her, but police said she died of her injuries. Neither the girl nor the arrested woman have been named by the police.

Detectives were making door-to-door inquiries at flats in Pickwick House and extra community officers were patrolling the area.

A force spokesperson said the girl’s family had been informed of her death.

“Officers will be in the area to conduct inquiries. Anyone with any concerns can speak to our neighbourhood policing teams that will be regularly patrolling. A 43-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of neglect of a child and remains in custody.”

It is understood the girl fell from the balcony of a sixth-floor flat.

Neighbours spoke of their horror and suggested the balconies on the block, which is a mix of privately owned flats and social housing, might not have been safe for children.

Some of the flats have netting on the balconies, but a council spokesperson said it was used to keep birds out.

One woman said: “I don’t let my kids play on the balcony. It’s nice to have an outside bit and some people have plants on it which is nice, but you never know.

“Lots of the flats have netting up but it’s not that secure – when I look up as I’m coming home I can see some of them are coming undone.”

A spokesperson from Portsmouth city council said: “Some properties have had netting put up where there has been an issue with birds going on balconies. The netting is purely designed to keep out birds, it is not a safety feature.”

He added: “It’s not appropriate for us to comment on an ongoing police investigation but our thoughts are with those affected and we’ve been visiting residents to offer any support they might need.

“We’ll continue this in the coming weeks and will be writing to residents with information on support available and encouraging them to remind children of important safety messages.”

The block is close to the birthplace of Charles Dickens, and like other blocks nearby – Nickleby, Copperfield and Barkis – is named after characters created by the author.

The area is one of the most deprived in Portsmouth. In 2021, Billyjay Green, 26, was stabbed to death outside Pickwick House hours after being released from prison. His brother Lewis was convicted of manslaughter.