POLICE are investigating after a 90-year-old woman climbed out on to a conservatory roof at her care home and fell to her death.

The lady, who has not been named, died after breaking through the window's security chains at Parkview Residential Home in Seaton Carew, County Durham, on Monday.

Believed to be a relatively new resident, she breached safety measures and climbed on to a conservatory roof, before falling to the ground as she tried to climb down.

She suffered severe head injuries and was taken to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, leaving care home staff 'traumatised'.

Parkview Residential Home owner, Matt Matharu, expressed his deepest condolences to the woman's family and described the fall as 'an awful accident'.

He said: "It's awful, the staff are traumatised by the whole event.

"Our deepest wishes of condolence are with the family."

Mr Matharu said they are now reviewing the security measures currently in place at the care home, and they will improve security where they can.

He said: "Parkview has been open for 20 years and we have never had anything like this before now.

"The security measures are in place but this lady has managed to break her way through.

"It appears she has got out of the window, climbed on to the conservatory and tried to get down and we believe she has then fallen from the conservatory roof."

Police officers are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident but are not treating the death as suspicious.

A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said: "Police were called at around 7pm on October 22 following concerns for an elderly resident who had fallen from a window at a care home in Seaton Carew.

"The 90-year-old woman was taken to James Cook University Hospital where she later died from her injuries.

"We are not treating the death as suspicious, however officers are looking into the circumstances surrounding her death and investigations are at an early stage."

A North East Ambulance Service spokeswoman added: "We were called to Parkview Residential Home at 6.11pm on Monday.

"We received reports of a female who was unconscious and had suffered head injuries.

"She was taken to James Cook University Hospital.”