Woman charged over nursery death

A woman has been charged with manslaughter following the death of a three-year-old girl in a nursery playground.

Lydia Bishop died in an incident at York College Nursery on September 17 last year.

North Yorkshire Police said a 24-year-old woman had been with gross negligence manslaughter. She will appear in court next week.

York College will be summonsed to court for alleged health and safety breaches, said police.

The woman, who has not been named but is understood to have been a member of staff at the nursery, will appear before York Magistrates' Court on Monday April 8.

Lydia suffered serious injuries in the outdoor play area during her first day at the nursery.

Emergency services were called and she was taken to York District Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Her death was described as "absolutely devastating" by the college at the time and the nursery, which opened in 2007, was permanently closed.

Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Costello, of North Yorkshire Police, said: "This has been a very distressing case for everyone involved, not least for Lydia's family who have suffered an extremely tragic loss.

"Our thoughts are with them and specially trained officers continue to support them through this very difficult time. The matter is now in the hands of the criminal justice system and we await the outcome of any subsequent court proceedings."