Murdered toddler's uncle is arrested

A man arrested over the murder of a two-year-old girl is also being questioned in connection with a serious sexual assault, police said yesterday.

The child, Casey Leigh Mullen, was found dead in her home in Gipton, Leeds, on Sunday night.

The arrested man, Michael Mullen, 21, is understood to be the child's uncle - the brother of her father, David. Two other men, aged 19 and 20, who were initially arrested on suspicion of murder, were released without charge yesterday,.

A Leeds City Council spokesman confirmed that social services were briefly involved with the family after an incident in 2005.

Neighbours spoke yesterday of their shock over the girl's death. Keith Beaumont, 58, said all the neighbours were pulling together. He said the mother, Samantha Canham, 21, lived with her partner and two children - Casey and a three-year-old boy.

He said: "They were a lovely family, it's just a shock for everybody." He said he had talked to a neighbour who tried to resuscitate the dying girl. He said: "She did her very best. She tried to revive the little girl.

"She ran up the stairs, found the baby, and tried to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation."