Tributes paid to ‘beautiful’ siblings found dead in Bristol home as woman (42) arrested for murder

Tributes have been paid to three “beautiful” children tragically found dead in their home in Bristol.

Brothers Fares Alfil Bash, aged seven, and 10-month-old Mohamed Alfil Bash have been named locally along with sister Jory Alfil Bash, aged three, as the three children who were found dead at their semi-detached home in the north east of the city.

A 42-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the discovery in the early hours of Sunday morning. She is being treated in hospital due to injuries which are not said to be life-threatening.

Avon and Somerset Police was called to the home in Blaise Walk, Sea Mills, after a member of the public called with concern for the welfare of those inside.

At a briefing at the taped-off street this morning, chief inspector Vicks Hayward-Melen said the death of the children had caused “great shock to the whole community”.

And at Sea Mills Methodist Church, members of the city’s Sudanese community came together to share the news and remember the children.

Salwa Bashar, aged 32, lives three miles away in Horfield but knew the family well.

The NHS worker said: “They were very happy children, very bubbly, especially the eldest child who acts like an adult.

“He was a remarkable boy, not just an ordinary boy he was amazing, intelligent, always trying to help you out, always asking if you were ok.

“He’s so young but he’s like an adult and he’s very curious about everything, trying to figure everything out.

“I’m really sad he’s gone. I said to the mother ‘one day this boy will be something else, he’s not going to be just a normal boy. He’s going to be a really important person’, and now… I don’t know, I wake up yesterday morning and I’m told he’s gone.”

At the nearby park, Ahmed Egal, aged 48, whose son is friends with Fares, said: “The children were all so lovely, we’d see them around here often and I’d often speak to the mother as she spoke Arabic like me.

“I also knew the father – we worked together at Royal Mail, he also seemed like a nice person. Everyone in our community is in shock today.”

Hamida Adam, aged 39, said she knew the mother well and said the family had visited a trampoline park called AirHop Bristol in the school half term.

She said: “She was a perfect mother, a very good carer of her kids and looked after them very well.

“When I close my eyes I see her with her beautiful children. We just want answers on what happened.”

It is understood that the father was not in the house at the time of the incident.

Avon and Somerset Police is making a formal referral to the UK police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) on the case. It’s understood it’s over recent contact between the force and the family.

The home is a semi-detached property located in quiet residential street in Sea Mills, which is located four miles north west of Bristol city centre.

On Monday morning, both Sea Mills Primary School and Sea Mills play group closed as a result of the tragedy.

Ch insp Hayward-Melen said forensic post-mortem examinations were taking place to establish the cause of the three deaths.

Formal identification had not yet taken place – but the next of kin was being given support by specialist family liaison officers.

The officer added: “It’s important to stress we are treating this as an isolated incident and we don’t believe there to be any ongoing risk to the wider community.

“We’ve been humbled by the community response to this tragedy. At a time of great sadness and disbelief, we’ve seen spontaneous acts of care and support.

“This is what being in a community is all about and we’d like to thank all those who continue to offer this important and selfless service.”

She added: “I know people will be eager to have answers, but the Major Crime Investigation Team are in the very early stages of what will be a highly sensitive, complex and thorough investigation, and it will take time to establish all the facts.

“We anticipate we’ll need to carry out further enquiries at the scene for the rest of the week and there will be some cordons in place while we do this.”

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