British mother arrested in France after baby found dead at holiday home

Coroner says death not from natural causes

Police inquires 'very quickly' focused on the mother (Google maps)

A mother from the UK has reportedly been arrested in the south of France after her five-month-old baby was discovered dead during a family holiday, according to officials.

The woman was reported to have been on holiday with her husband and her two children – aged five months and three years old – in Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, a village in the Basque province of Labourd.

On the last day of their week-long break, the father reportedly woke up early and left the room the family were sharing.

After he returned and the mother woke around 9am, he found the baby was dead and contacted the emergency services, according to preliminary information.

She was arrested on Saturday and was being held in police custody.

A coroner said the death was not from natural causes, according to Sud Ouest.

"The suspect death of a baby was discovered at the scene" deputy prosecutor Marc Mariee told AFP.

Mr Mariee said investigators "very quickly" focused on the mother.

A port-mortem will be carried out next week.