Three ‘beautiful’ children found dead in Bristol home pictured for first time
Tributes have been paid to the three children who were pronounced dead at their home in Sea Mills in Bristol
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Tributes have been paid to three children found dead in their home in Bristol. Brothers Fares Bash, aged seven, and nine-month-old Mohammed Bash have been named by police along with sister Joury Bash, aged three.
The three were found dead at their semi-detached home in the northeast of the city. A 42-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the discovery in the early hours of Sunday morning. She is being treated in hospital due to injuries, which are said not to be life threatening.
Avon and Somerset Police were called to the home in Blaise Walk, Sea Mills, after a member of the public called with concerns for the welfare of those inside.
On Monday morning, at a briefing at the taped-off street, Chief Inspector Vicks Hayward-Melen said the death of the children had caused “great shock to the whole community”.
And at Sea Mills Methodist Church, members of the city’s Sudanese community came together to share the news and remember the children.
Sadiq Issak was among them. He said: “It’s a really sad day for everyone in the community. What we can do is to get together and show our support for those impacted. “We all knew them well, so it’s hard for us right now - you just feel awful about the children.”
Salwa Bashar lives three miles away in Horfield but knew the family well.
The NHS worker told The Independent: “They were very happy children, very bubbly, especially the eldest child who acts like an adult.
“He was a remarkable boy, not just an ordinary boy he was amazing, intelligent, always trying to help you out, always asking if you were OK.
“He’s so young but he’s like an adult and he’s very curious about everything, trying to figure everything out.
“I’m really sad he’s gone. I said to the mother: ‘One day this boy will be something else, he’s not going to be just a normal boy. He’s going to be a really important person’. And now... I don’t know, I wake up yesterday morning and I’m told he’s gone.”
At a nearby park, Ahmed Egal was with his son who was a friend of Fares. He said: “The children were all so lovely. We’d see them around here often and I’d often speak to the mother as she spoke Arabic like me.
“I also knew the father. We worked together at Royal Mail, he also seemed like a nice person. Everyone in our community is in shock today.”
Hamida Adam was outside the church with her child on Monday morning. She knows the mother well and said the family had visited a trampoline park called AirHop Bristol during the recent half-term holiday.
She said: “She was a perfect mother, a very good carer of her kids and looked after them very well.
“When I close my eyes I see her with her beautiful children. We just want answers on what happened.”
The Independent understands that the father was not in the house at the time of the incident.
Avon and Somerset Police are making a formal referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) on the case. An IOPC spokesperson said it had been informed of police contact with the family earlier this month.
The home is a semi-detached property in a quiet residential street in Sea Mills, four miles northwest of Bristol city centre.
On Monday morning, both Sea Mills Primary School and Sea Mills Community Playgroup closed as a result of the tragedy.
Ch Insp Hayward-Melen said forensic post-mortem examinations were taking place to establish the causes of the three deaths.
Formal identification had not yet taken place, but the next of kin was being given support by specialist family liaison officers.
The officer added: “It’s important to stress we are treating this as an isolated incident and we don’t believe there to be any ongoing risk to the wider community.
“We’ve been humbled by the community response to this tragedy. At a time of great sadness and disbelief, we’ve seen spontaneous acts of care and support.
“This is what being in a community is all about and we’d like to thank all those who continue to offer this important and selfless service.”
She added: “I know people will be eager to have answers, but the major crime investigation team are in the very early stages of what will be a highly sensitive, complex and thorough investigation, and it will take time to establish all the facts.
“We anticipate we’ll need to carry out further enquiries at the scene for the rest of the week and there will be some cordons in place while we do this.”
Darren Jones, MP for Bristol North West, said: “I’m deeply saddened by this tragic news from Sea Mills.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of the children, and my thanks go to our emergency services who responded. Avon and Somerset Police will remain in the area but consider this to be an isolated incident.”
Local councillor Henry Michallat said: “My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the children at this sad and difficult time. I thank emergency service personnel who have responded.”