Body of girl, 6, found in West Calder home after she 'failed to show up to school'

The bodies of Mark Gordon and his six-year-old girl Hope were recovered astatine the spot successful Harburn Drive successful West Calder, West Lothian connected Monday day with their deaths being treated arsenic unexplained

The assemblage of a six-year-old miss was recovered astatine her location successful West Calder, Scotland, aft she "failed to amusement up to school."

Police said determination is thing that to "suggest anyone other is involved" aft the miss and her begetter were recovered dormant successful a house. Officers located the bodies of the 36-year-old begetter Mark Gordon and his six-year-old girl Hope, astatine the spot successful Harburn Drive, West Calder, West Lothian, connected Monday afternoon.

The decease are being treated arsenic unexplained, and constabulary said post-mortem investigations into the bodies volition instrumentality spot this week. Speaking astatine a property league astatine Livingston constabulary presumption connected Wednesday, Chief Superintendent Gregg Banks said concerns were raised erstwhile the kid failed to be schoolhouse connected Monday.

"Police Scotland responded to what we people arsenic a 'concern for' telephone connected Monday January 25," helium said. "That telephone related to interest from a household subordinate astir their kid failing to be school.

"This led our officers to behaviour inquiries to place the child's whereabouts, and yet resulted successful them attending astatine the spot astatine Harburn Drive successful West Calder. When they were incapable to summation introduction to the property, assistance was provided from colleagues astatine the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to unit entry, and tragically the bodies of an big antheral aged 36, and a young pistillate property six years of age, were discovered successful the property."

Mr Banks said determination had been an "element of shared custody" implicit the kid betwixt her parent and father, and that she had been staying with her begetter for a "period of time" erstwhile their bodies were found. Detective Chief Inspector Bob Williamson, of the large probe team, said: "Our thoughts stay with the antheral and girl's relatives astatine this highly hard clip and they proceed to beryllium supported by specializer officers.

"They are understandably devastated and it is captious we get answers for them. At this time, we person nary accusation to suggest anyone other is progressive and our inquiries are continuing.

Mr Banks added that the probe was inactive astatine a "relatively aboriginal stage", and called connected radical to debar "speculation" astir what happened astatine the property. "The post-mortems person not been conducted yet. I genuinely anticipation people won't propulsion chaotic speculation retired there," helium said.

"That truly does not enactment the household who are devastated astatine this time. Let's enactment connected the facts and we volition cognize the post-mortem facts precise quickly." Mr Banks besides appealed for privateness for the family.

"As you tin astir apt imagine, anyone losing a household subordinate successful specified circumstances is simply a truly tragic and hard happening to woody with, peculiarly losing a child," helium said. "So the decease of a six-year-old kid is peculiarly tragic, truthful the household are being supported.

"But intelligibly my entreaty has been for privateness astatine this time. When their names bash go communal knowledge, which they volition astatine immoderate point, a grade of privateness to let them to travel to presumption with a truly tragic acceptable of circumstances".

He besides thanked section residents for their assistance implicit the past 48 hours, and said helium wanted to "reassure" them that the events look to beryllium "an incidental wrong the discourse of that 1 property", and that determination was nary hazard to the wider community. Chief Inspector Elaine McArthur-Kerr, section country commander, echoed this, saying: "We recognize the important interaction this volition person connected the section assemblage and I would similar to convey everyone for their assistance truthful far.

"This incidental is precise upsetting and worrying for the radical surviving successful this assemblage and we would inquire anyone with immoderate concerns to talk to us. A constabulary beingness volition stay successful the country portion we transportation retired investigations and anyone with immoderate concerns, oregon information, tin attack these officers."

Police person appealed to anybody with immoderate accusation that astir the incidental to interaction them.