London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 29, 2026

Six women arrested after boy, one, dies at Dudley nursery

Six women arrested after boy, one, dies at Dudley nursery

Six women have been arrested over the "suspicious" death of a one-year-old boy at a nursery in the West Midlands.

A criminal investigation was launched following a visit by Ofsted inspectors to Fairytales Day Nursery in Dudley, in the wake of the death on 9 December.

Two of those arrested are being held on suspicion of corporate manslaughter, police have confirmed.

The nursery, on Bourne Street, along with other linked premises, is closed.

The corporate manslaughter suspects were detained on Wednesday, along with another woman held on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.


Ofsted said it was supporting the police inquiry

The three are aged 51, 53 and 37, says West Midlands Police, adding it is treating the death as suspicious.

Three others, aged 20, 23 and 50, were arrested on 16 December on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. They have been released on police bail.

A post-mortem examination has taken place, but further tests will be needed to establish the cause of death, according to police.

The boy's family is being supported, the force adds.


Ofsted concerns


West Midlands Ambulance Service said paramedics and an air ambulance were called to Bourne Street at about 15:20 GMT on 9 December.

Crews found a child in a critical condition and advanced life support was administered, which continued on the way to Dudley's Russells Hall Hospital by ambulance.

The nursery's website stated that the Bourne Street site was established in 2003


Before the nursery's closure, Ofsted said it had received concerns on 14 December that it was not meeting some safeguarding and welfare requirements, and its registration was suspended amid fears by officials "children may be at risk of harm".

A regulatory visit a day later revealed the nursery had failed to notify Ofsted of a change in manager, which is an offence, and was not meeting some other requirements.

As a result of that it was told to make several improvements, including training for staff caring for babies, as well as other actions around babies' sleeping routines, risk assessments and safeguarding procedures.

A spokesperson for Ofsted told BBC News on Thursday it would be inappropriate to comment on the circumstances surrounding the death while a police investigation was under way.

However, the watchdog said it was supporting the police inquiry.

The nursery was rated "good" by Ofsted in 2019, and "outstanding" three years earlier.

Its website details several awards it has won, including SME News UK Enterprise Award for best childcare provider in the West Midlands in 2022, expert-recommended top three nursery in Dudley in 2021 and Greater Birmingham Apprenticeship Awards Small Employer Of The Year 2022.

It added the Bourne Street site was established in 2003, with two others in St James's Road from 2006.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
NHS Leaders Warn Royal Mail Tariff Increases Will Raise Administrative Costs
Immigration Remains the Public's Top Concern in Britain, Ipsos Poll Finds
Britain Approves 16 New Grid Storage Projects to Strengthen Electricity Network
London-Listed Merger Activity Climbs Even as IPO Market Remains Weak
Institute of Directors Warns High Energy Costs and Taxes Continue to Weigh on UK Businesses
North Sea Industry Calls for Faster Approval of £10 Billion Rosebank and Jackdaw Projects
UK Inflation Eases to 2.6% but Higher Energy Costs Could Renew Price Pressures
Burnham Holds Talks With Saudi and Qatari Leaders on Middle East Security and Energy
Burnham and Zelenskyy Announce UK Electronic Warfare Technology Cooperation During London Visit
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Launches Cross-Party Push for Social Care Reform in England
Trump says Israel ‘would not survive’ without US
France Evacuates Atlantic Coast Resorts as Wildfire Risk Rises Again
Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Kumamoto as Rescuers Search Collapsed Buildings
OpenAI Faces Demands for Full Disclosure After Models Breach Hugging Face
Nvidia Reportedly Takes Vast Texas Data-Centre Lease to Underwrite AI Expansion
Royal Collection Trust Income Falls as Palace Visits Retreat From Record Highs
FIFA’s Private-Investment Plan for World Cup Rights Draws European Revolt
Ministers Examine Social-Care Levy as Burnham Seeks Funding Settlement
UK Attractions Sector Forecast to Add £587 Million in Visitor Spending
England Coast Path Extends With New Suffolk Estuary Walking Route
Attorney General Wins Longer Jail Term for Fatal Dangerous Driving Case
Andrew and Tristan Tate Remain in U.S. Custody Pending UK Extradition
Royal Fleet Auxiliary Workers Secure Above-Inflation Pay Deal
Prime Minister Seeks Cross-Party Agreement on Social Care Reform
Court Upholds Competition Ruling Against Drugmakers Over Hydrocortisone Prices
UK Unveils Major Technical Education Reform for Secondary Schools
UK Judge Rebukes Home Office Over AI-Generated Errors in Asylum Case
UK and Ukraine Agree to Share Electronic Warfare Technology
Apple Briefly Crosses Five Trillion Dollar Valuation as Investors Retreat From AI Bets
Badenoch Offers Tory Votes to Keep Serious Offenders in Prison
Why Americans Queue for $15 Ice Cream and a $100 Caviar Pint
Another AI Genius Left the United States — and Silicon Valley Is Starting to Worry
Shein Reports $99mn Loss as Trade Barriers Test Low-Cost Model
CXMT Gains 466% in China’s Biggest IPO Since 2010
Amazon Seeks Approval for 5,105-Satellite Mobile Network
Burnham Puts School-to-Work Reform at Centre of Welfare Strategy
Johnson & Johnson Agrees to $5.5 Billion Talc Lawsuit Settlement
EU AI Act Shapes Global Corporate Standards, Study Finds
UK-Japan Relations Expected to Deepen Under Burnham Government
Burnham Signals Tough Decisions on Council Tax Reform
UK Inflation Slows to 2.6% in June
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75%
Prime Minister Burnham Opens Talks With Business Leaders on Economic Growth
Government Launches 'Number Ten North' to Drive UK Devolution
Labour Regains Poll Lead After Burnham's First Weeks in Office
Prime Minister Burnham Rules Out Early UK General Election Before 2029
Burnham Rules Out Replacing Council Tax and Stamp Duty
Fresh Heatwave Threatens to Rekindle France’s Historic Wildfire Crisis
The Burnham government is seeking to establish its credibility through ambitious social care reform while maintaining fiscal discipline and public confidence in the National Health Service. Labour's early improvement in opinion polls provides political momentum, but sustained support will depend on delivering tangible policy outcomes. Britain continues to reinforce its role in European security through long-term support for Ukraine, while climate-related risks, including increasingly severe wildfires across England and Scotland, are becoming a more prominent national resilience challenge alongside economic uncertainty.
United Kingdom Economy Remains Exposed to Global Energy Risks
×