
BREAKING NEWS Pictured: Girl, seven, who died after tree 'held up by metal poles' collapsed on top of her - as heartbroken parents pay tribute to 'the light in our lives'
Little Leona, from Dagenham in east London, had been visiting family in Southend-on-Sea when she and several other children were trapped underneath a tree that partially collapsed.
In a statement issued by Essex Police, the girl's family said she had been the 'light of their lives and in the lives of everyone who had the joy of meeting her'.
A photograph was issued of the tragic youngster, showing her smiling, her hair tied in twin pigtails with pink ribbons.
The tragedy unfolded on Saturday June 28 in front of horrified witnesses, dozens of whom ran to try to lift the tree off of the youngsters.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
36 minutes ago
- The Sun
Toddler dies after ‘after being forgotten' inside car in Spain during 35C afternoon
A TODDLER has died after being 'forgotten' inside a car in Spain -amid a horror heatwave which has seen temperatures surpass 35 degrees. The boy, believed to be aged around two, was left inside his dad's car on an industrial estate in the Costa Dorada town of Valls near the east coast city of Tarragona. 3 3 3 The alarm was raised around 3pm on Tuesday afternoon before firefighters rushed to the vehicle. When they arrived, they found the youngster's dad beside the child with the car door already open. They tried to revive him with help from emergency medical responders who arrived soon after. The responders practised CPR on the toddler before discovering he had gone into cardiac arrest. Efforts to save his life were unsuccessful - and he was tragically pronounced dead at the scene. A police probe into the horror accident has been launched. It is unclear if any arrests have been made yet, but police questioned the parent shortly after the ordeal. Police sources said the toddler's dad had arrived for work at around 9am and allegedly forgot the child in his seat in the back of his car, the Daily Mail reported. A horrified colleague is believed to have alerted the dad around six hours later - after passing by the car on the industrial estate and spotting the child inside. Detectives are now reportedly working on the theory that the child died from heat exhaustion and dehydration after being left in the vehicle in 35 degree heat. Psychologists have also been brought in to provide the toddler's family with counselling. More than 100 deaths since Saturday have been linked to Spain's first summer heatwave. .


Daily Mail
39 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Pictured: Man, 24, who murdered his mother at seaside home
A man who has admitted to killing his own mother has been pictured by police for the first time. Oliver Grange, 24, murdered his mother, Rachel Dixon, 49, at his seaside home on Skelmersdale Avenue, Clacton-on-Sea, at around 11.30am on March 21 this year. Police and ambulance crews - including an air ambulance - rushed to the address within five minutes of receiving a call over concern's for Ms Dixon's welfare, but she was tragically pronounced dead at the scene. Grange was immediately arrested on suspicion of murder but was also taken to hospital in a 'serious condition', which police said was as a result of a separate incident. He was then charged with murder after being released from hospital five days later and was remanded in custody. Grange pleaded guilty to murdering his mother when he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday, June 26. Detective Chief Inspector Greg Wood, of Essex Police, said Grange had comitted a 'heinous crime'. He added: 'Our thoughts remain with Rachel's family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. We know this loss is felt widely. 'I hope the defendant's decision to plead guilty to this heinous crime will help Rachel's loved ones as they move forward.' Ms Dixon's family paid tribute after her death, saying: 'Our beautiful daughter, sister, mother and auntie, who will be greatly missed by all who was taken away from us far too soon.' DCI Rob Huddleston also said previously that the murder had shocked the local community. Grange was remanded into custody and will be sentenced at the same court in August.


Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Hundreds of children to be tested for disease after childcare centre rape charges
The parents of 1,200 children in Australia are being urged to get them tested for infectious diseases after a childcare worker was charged with 70 sex offences including child rape. Joshua Dale Brown, 26, is accused of abusing eight children under the age of two, including a five-month-old baby, at a childcare centre in Melbourne between April 2022 and January 2023. Police have not ruled out that Mr Brown, who has worked at 19 other childcare centres over the past eight years, could have preyed on more alleged victims. Officers arrested him at his home in Melbourne on May 12 after uncovering evidence of child abuse material. The charges he faces include sexual penetration of a child under 12, attempted sexual penetration of a child under 12, sexual assault of a child under 16 and producing child abuse material for use through a carriage service. Janet Stevenson, the Victoria Police acting commander, said it had taken the 'unusual decision' to lift the suppression order on Mr Brown's name so that parents could check whether he would have come into contact with their child. Health authorities have contacted 2,600 families and have recommended the testing for 1,200 children who may have come into contact with him as a precaution. A website listing the centres at which Mr Brown worked and the known employment dates has been set up by the government, as well as a dedicated hotline for families. The eight children who police allege were abused by Mr Brown were all under the age of two and attended one childcare centre in a suburb of Melbourne. Dr Christian McGrath, the chief health officer in Victoria, did not disclose whether the suspect had tested positive for sexually transmitted infections, but said the manner of the alleged offending meant some children may be asked to undergo screening for infectious diseases. He said: 'This is another distressing element to the situation, and we're taking this approach as a precaution. We do believe it's a low risk, but we want to offer this to provide assurance to the parents about the health and well-being of their children.' Detectives are also investigating alleged offences at a childcare centre in Essendon, another Melbourne suburb, 'as a priority'. Police believe Mr Brown had acted alone and that the offending was confined to Victoria. He was not known to police beforehand, and his alleged offending was only uncovered because of a proactive investigation and not a tip-off or complaint. Mr Brown is yet to enter a plea to the charges and has been remanded in custody. He is due to appear at Melbourne magistrates' court on September 15. Jacinta Allan, the premier of Victoria, said she was 'sickened' by the allegations, adding: 'My heart breaks for the families who are living every parent's worst nightmare.'