Seven-year-old girl 'starves to death'

Police said on Wednesday that a man and a woman have been charged with child neglect after reports that a seven-year-old girl starved to death in Birmingham.

The girl, Khyra Ishaq, was taken to hospital on Saturday where she was pronounced dead, police said. The cause of death has not been confirmed.

A report in the Birmingham Mail said the girl died from starvation and that her mother and stepfather had been charged.

It said her five brothers or sisters were also taken to hospital.

In a statement, West Midlands Police said only that a man aged 29 and a woman aged 33 were arrested on Saturday under child cruelty laws in Handsworth, a suburb in northwest Birmingham.

They were remanded in custody during a brief hearing at the city's magistrates court on Monday and are due back in court next Wednesday.

"As proceedings are active, we cannot comment further at this time," police said.

Birmingham City Council said: "We are deeply saddened by the death of this child and our sympathies go to the child's family and friends at this difficult time.

"This death is now the subject of a police inquiry and Birmingham City Council are fully supporting their investigation."

The maximum sentence for neglect under the Children and Young Persons Act is 10 years in prison.