Two young children found dead at home in Stafford

Two children found dead at a home in Stafford have been identified by police.

Meraj Ul Zahra, aged two, and Abdul Momin Alfaateh, three, were both found unresponsive at a property on Corporation Street at 7:30 am today.

Neighbors expressed their shock at the deaths on the row of terraced homes.

A man believed to be the father was seen looking distraught as an older sibling was carried into a police car at the scene.

A 43-year-old woman from the Stafford area has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Almost the entire street, which is opposite St George’s mental health hospital, remains cordoned off as forensic experts examine the property.

Bookshop owner Luke Browne, 61, said he saw a forensic van and police on the road as he headed to work this morning.

He added: ‘It’s very sad. Children dying is a horror. It’s quite painful to hear it.’

He added: ‘I’ve only lived here a year but everybody I’ve met has been lovely.’

‘I woke up to this news and it sent a chill down my spine. It’s a terrible shock, it’s just horrible,’ another neighbor told the Daily Mail.

Another added: ‘The first we knew that something was wrong was when we heard all of the sirens. Then later, I saw the older child being taken away in a police car.

‘The father was too distraught to carry him, so the police carried the child to the car for him.’

Detective Inspector Kirsty Oldfield said: ‘We are working hard to understand more about what happened leading up to these two children tragically losing their lives.

‘We ask that people do not speculate at this stage, as it is distressing for family and friends and could hinder our inquiries.

‘We understand that this incident may cause concern in the local community. We don’t believe there is a wider threat to the public at this time.

‘A cordon is currently in place at a home on Corporation Street.’

West Midlands Ambulance Service said they sent two ambulances and two paramedics to the scene.

They added: ‘On arrival of ambulance staff, we discovered two patients, both children.

‘Sadly, it quickly became apparent nothing could be done to save them, and they were confirmed dead at the scene.’