POLICE are investigating the unexplained death of a nine-week-old baby girl in Darlington.

Officers have stressed that it is not a criminal investigation and have urged residents not to speculate about the baby's cause of death.

A spokesman for Darlington police said: "Police are conducting enquiries on behalf of the coroner into the death of a nine-week-old baby girl on the Red Hall estate in Darlington.

"She is believed to have died in the early hours of Saturday morning, at the family home in Roker Close.

"At this stage the death is being treated as 'unexplained.'

"A post mortem has been carried out but the initial findings were inconclusive.

"Further tests are therefore to be conducted to establish a cause of death and the results will be forwarded to the coroner.

"We are aware certain rumours were circulating on the estate at the weekend which were both false and distressing to the family.

"We would urge local residents to refrain from speculating in this fashion and allow us to carry out our enquiries."