Child deaths mother fled police after son's birth

A woman who admitted killing her two children in a Spanish hotel room fled from police hours after her baby son was born, it was reported today.

Lianne Smith, 43, said she had suffocated five-year-old Rebecca and 11-month-old Daniel with a plastic bag.

Their bodies were found at the Hotel Miramar in Lloret de Mar, on the Costa Brava, last Tuesday.

The family fled from the UK in 2007 after the children's father, Martin Smith, 45, was arrested over alleged child sex offences.

When Daniel was born in a Barcelona hospital last year, Spanish authorities became aware of their possible whereabouts so they immediately moved to a different address in the city, neighbours told the Daily Telegraph.

Smith, originally from North Shields, was one of Britain's most wanted men until Spanish police tracked him down and arrested him earlier this month.

His partner has said she was worried the authorities would remove her children from her, and Spanish police said she tried to kill herself before she was arrested last Tuesday in connection with their deaths.

She was transferred to a prison in Girona, Spain, on Friday after a judge in nearby Blanes ruled that a case should be brought against her.

Smith is expected to decide later this week whether her children's bodies should be repatriated or buried in Spain.

The children died around the time their father was extradited to Britain.

It was after her partner's arrest that Smith fled with her children to the Lloret de Mar hotel.

A court document detailing Friday's hearing read: "Smith spontaneously declared that she had killed her two children...

"Asked if she wanted to be present when the two bodies were removed, she declined as she said she had already said goodbye to her two children."

Smith was formerly a manager at Cumbria County Council's children's services department but did not work directly with children.

Her partner appeared before Carlisle magistrates last week charged with 13 sexual offences and one count of jumping bail.