Police have launched an inquiry after a four-year-old girl tragically fell to her death from the bedroom window of her home.

Lyndsey Churlish was playing in her room with her brothers and sisters when she fell 20 feet from a first floor wondow.

Her shocked mum Suzanne discovered the toddler lying on concrete slabs outside the terraced home after the other youngsters raised the alarm.

Lyndsey was rushed by ambulance to Hartlepool General Hospital but doctors were unbale to save her. She had suffered massive head injuries.

The tragedy happened at around 7.30pm on Monday at the family home in Trimdon, Co. Durham.

Lyndsey was playing in her room with her brothers Christopher, eight, Michael, six, sister Emma, three, and friend Adam Barnette, aged five, while her mum chatted to a neighbour downstairs.

It is yet unknown how the bedroom wondow was opened and how the youngster managed to fall to her death.

But detectives are not treating the death as suspcious.

Lyndsey's mum and dad, Charles, were said to be devastated and were being comforted by family.

Detective Inspector Sue Knaggs from Durham police said: "Specially traiend police officers are waiting to speak to the children to establish exactly what happened.

"How and why the window was opened will play a material part of that inquiry. But at this stage Lyndsey's death is not being treated as suspicious."