Boy, 4, died in freak accident after getting trapped in two baby stair gates at ‘filthy’ home

A FOUR-YEAR-OLD boy who was living in an “absolute squalor” died after getting stuck between two stair gates.

The child, known as AH, died in a hospice in April last year following a cardiac arrest three weeks after the accident.

Details of the death follow the publication of a serious case review into the tragedy in Norfolk.

The incident led to a criminal investigation, which has since been concluded.

The report, by the Norfolk Safeguarding Children Partnership, said the accident occurred while AH and three of their five siblings were at home on April 3.

It said: “Child AH was found trapped in the gap between the original stairgate and one added to prevent the children climbing over the lower one.”

The family’s other kids have now gone into foster care or are being looked after by the council.

The police who responded to the 999 call said the home – which was in a “socially deprived area” – was an “absolute squalor”.

The report found the house was described as “cluttered with an unpleasant odour from the stained carpets and piles of unwashed clothing”.

AH was reported to have “worn the same clothes all week…he was not toilet trained and not always cleaned after soiling his nappy.”

‘FILTHY HOME’

A stairgate was installed in the home due to concerns about a child climbing on upstairs windowsills but was described as “unsafe”, with the kids “climbing over it and trying to force it open”.

Just days before AH’s death, a health visitor raised several concerns, including “the filthy condition of the home and garden, the safety of the children, and the risks presented by the stairgate”, which led to a referral for family support.

However it was found the family did not meet the threshold for a social work assessment.

The report found there was “often no food in the house” and children “being left in soiled nappies and sore”.

It added how AH’s mum was “overwhelmed by demands of a big family, a low income and no friends or family support”.

Chris Robson, NSCP chairman, said: “This was a tragic accident and the thoughts of the whole partnership are with AH’s family and friends.

“AH’s mother was seeking to protect him by installing these gates and there is no doubt that she loved her children very much.

“The review recommends multi-agency work to review the published risks of using stairgates so that parents and carers know when and how to use them safely.

“However, despite the absolute tragedy of AH’s death, I would not want to deter anyone from installing a gate to stop small children from accessing the stairs.

“Used in the right circumstances, there is no doubt that stairgates save lives.

“There are always things we can learn from any tragedy and, in this case, more could have been done to look at the wider family network.”