'Tragic accident' sees 7-year-old girl fall 100ft to her death from block of Clerkenwell flats

Tributes paid to Somali girl Nawaal Sayid, who fell from the 11th floor of a central London flat

A seven-year-old girl has died after plunged from an 11th floor balcony in central London, police have said.

Nawaal Sayid, a young Somalian girl who attended a special needs school in Holloway, is reported to have fallen more than 100ft (30m) from the building in Clerkenwell.

Scotland Yard have said officers were called to Emberton Court in Tompion Street, central London, on Tuesday evening following reports that a child had fallen from a balcony.

A spokesman for the force confirmed that the London Ambulance Service treated a seven-year-old girl at the scene before taking her to hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

"The death is being treated as unexplained at this time," he added.

Nawal’s head teacher at The Bridge School in Holloway, Dr Penny Barrat, later confirmed one of the school’s primary pupils had a “tragic accident and subsequently died”.

In a letter to parents of children at the school, she paid tribute to the girl: "Nawaal was an extremely happy, bubbly, fun-loving girl who really enjoyed all the activities she got involved in at school. She brought a smile to the faces of all who came into contact with her. We will really miss her."

According to local media reports, Nawaal was one of three children in a family that has lived in the 11 floor flat since 2010.

A neighbour told the Islington Gazette yesterday: “They’d lived here about three years, I knew them to say hello to. I didn’t hear anything last night, I was watching TV.

“The first I heard was all the sirens, then there were lots of people about outside. It’s shocking.”

One shopkeeper, who saw the incident but did not wish to be named, said: "I tried to go over to help but a woman, who I think was the mother, just shouted, 'Stay back, this is none of your business'. It was really shocking."

Floral tributes and messages have been set down outside the central London tower block, with messages including “Gone too soon” and “RIP little angel”.