Mum And Child Found Dead In Merthyr Tydfil

             

A young mother - thought to be suffering from depression - and her baby were found after social services visited the the house.

The deaths of a mother - who has been named locally - and child in a house in South Wales are being treated as "unexplained", according to police.

Officers found the bodies of Joanne Thomas, who was thought to be in her 20s and a baby after being called to the property in Church Street in Troedyrhiw, Merthyr Tydfil, at around 4.20pm.

One neighbour told Sky News that social services had been knocking at Ms Thomas' door in the afternoon and called police when no one answered.

Locals said Ms Thomas, who had not been seen for several weeks, had been struggling with depression.
Yonni Bengorion, 45, who lived next door said: "She moved in here about three months ago and was very pleasant.

"Her baby was a beautiful girl. Joanne had problems with depression. The ambulance has been called out here a number of times with her being unconscious.

"I became concerned when I had not seen her for a few weeks and I noticed her washing was still on the line.

"I knocked the door a few times, but did not get an answer.

"I've later discovered that her door had been unlocked the whole time. This is such a tragedy."

Mr Bengorion said Ms Thomas had two older children who would sometimes stay with her at weekends.
He added: "Joanne told me she was happy to come live here because it was a fresh start for her. She told me she had been at a woman's refuge in the past."

The area has been cordoned off and house-to-house enquiries are under way.
Police have yet to confirm the age and identity of the two victims. Post-mortem examinations will be carried out over the next 24 hours to establish the cause of their deaths.

A police spokesman said: "The deaths are currently being treated as unexplained and an incident room has been set up at Cardiff Central Police Station."

Borough councillor Gareth Lewis said he found out about the deaths on Twitter and said it would be wrong to speculate on the nature of what had happened.

He said: "All we know is that a child and somebody else, perhaps a young adult, have lost their lives.
"It is a very close-knit community, the people are very nice and will help the police as much as possible with their inquiry.

"The information started to spread online, and it will have a big impact on this community and its people."
Troedyrhiw is part of an old coal mining area, which Mr Lewis described as a "typical, traditional Valleys community".

Detective Superintendent Paul Hurley, of the South Wales Police specialist crime investigations team, added: "Troedyrhiw is a close-knit community in Merthyr Tydfil and local people are obviously shocked.
"We would like to hear from anyone who has seen or heard anything suspicious or unusual in Church Street in recent weeks. The information may seem insignificant but could be important to the investigation."