London child death: 5-year-old girl suffers cardiac arrest at Mile End Park after 'zip wire collapses'

Metropolitan Police detectives are investigating the death of a five-year-old girl in Mile End Park in east London after she suffered a cardiac arrest after a zip-wire is thought to have collapsed.

Police were called at 5:34pm on Friday (17 July) to reports of an injured child at a play area in the park off Locksley Street.

Officers and London Ambulance Service attended the scene and found a five year-old girl who was in cardiac arrest.

The girl was taken to an east London hospital where she died at 6:43pm that evening. Next of kin have been informed but formal identification is yet to take place. A post-mortem examination will take place on Wednesday, 22 July but police believe the girl was injured in an accident involving the collapse of a tree to which a zip wire was attached.

A joint investigation is being carried out into the circumstances of the incident by Met officers, working alongside the Health and Safety Executive.

The Met's investigation is being led by detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command (HMCC).

Due to their experience and resource capability, HMCC officers are often assigned to investigate fatalities which may involve complex issues.

Anyone who witnessed the incident should call police on 020 8345 3715.