A three-month-old girl died on Saturday morning while camping with her family in woodland near Cheslyn Hay, after emergency services were called to land off Strawberry Lane at 08:45 BST. Paramedics pronounced the child dead a short time later, and Staffordshire Police said the death is being treated as unexplained.
The call brought an air ambulance and officers to the scene, and a police cordon was still in place on Sunday as inquiries continued. Det Insp Katie Gregory said the investigation remains at an early stage and that it is being treated as an isolated incident.
The woodland lies inside the Wyrley and Essington Branch Canal Local Nature Reserve, hidden away from the main woodland, and the area is not an official camping site. That detail has sharpened attention in a village of around 7,000 people, where the death has landed hard because it happened in a place many know as a walking route rather than a campsite.
By Sunday, the scene was marked by flowers and a bunch of roses, while hundreds of residents had already paid tribute on social media. Councillor Robert Duncan said the community was devastated and urged people to avoid speculation and allow the family and responders the privacy and respect they deserve.
The investigation has now settled into the difficult space between grief and uncertainty: the child’s death is real, the scene is still active, and the cause has not been explained. Police are still carrying out inquiries, and until they do, the most important fact in Cheslyn Hay is the one they have not yet been able to answer.
Rev Samantha Hagerman said thoughts and prayers were with the family, friends and emergency services affected by the incident near Cheslyn Hay yesterday.
