An eight-year-old boy who fell to his death from a window in Nottingham had severe learning disabilities and a history of escaping from his home, neighbours claimed yesterday.
The schoolboy, named locally as May Hamid Balal, fell around 30ft from a third-floor window in his house on Costock Avenue shortly before 7.15pm on Wednesday.
He was said to be the second youngest of four children and was non-verbal and autistic, requiring him to attend a special school to cater to his needs.
The child’s horrified next-door neighbours were the first to realise what had happened after hearing a loud crack close to their front doors.
Several of them then tried desperately to perform CPR on the stricken child as they awaited paramedics.
He died in hospital of his injuries.
As flowers were left at a cordon outside the boy’s home, neighbours claimed May Hamid had previously escaped from his house several times, including through a second-floor window
He was said to have previously been found as far away as the next street.
One neighbour, who asked not to be named, told the Mail she had once found May Hamid wandering around in her living room and she had to take him back home.
‘He’s been found in other people’s properties on a number of occasions,’ she said.
‘I think he’s got out four or five times.
‘I heard a huge crack and went outside.
‘There were already neighbours there with him.’
Ibnu Habbas, 44, was one of the neighbours who ran across the road to help tend to the boy.
He said: ‘We heard a lot of noise and my wife told me to go and look at what had happened.
‘I go and see the boy has fallen down and someone is doing CPR, they were getting told how to give him CPR over the phone by the ambulance service.
‘It’s really, really shocking, he was just a child.
‘The family are very nice, we talk to the father occasionally.’
A police officer remained stationed outside the front door of the child’s home yesterday morning.
Chief Inspector Jon Scurr of Nottinghamshire Police said: ‘This is a tragic and devastating loss of life and our thoughts are with the boy’s family and loved ones.
‘I would like to thank those that have already reported information to us, and would urge anyone who hasn’t yet done so, to please make contact as soon as possible.’
Anyone with information, or who may have captured dashcam footage of the incident, is asked by police to call 101 quoting incident 671 of September 18, 2024