Man held over murder of two-year-old girl

LONDON, Feb 13 (Reuters) A man was being questioned today over the murder and sexual assault of a two-year-old girl found dead at her home in Leeds.

The unnamed 21-year-old from Leeds was arrested on suspicion of murder and serious sexual assault, a West Yorkshire Police spokesman said. Two other men, aged 19 and 20, were arrested and later released without charge.

A pathologist conducted a post mortem early on Tuesday to establish how the child died, although police have not disclosed the result. She died on Sunday night.

''For operational reasons the cause of death can not be disclosed at this time,'' police said. ''However, we can now say that this inquiry is being treated as a murder investigation.'' Neighbours in the Gipton area of Leeds said there was a disturbance in the house before the girl's mother emerged, screaming ''she's dead, she's dead'', according to newspaper reports.

''She just kept crying that someone had hurt her baby,'' family friend Sarah Pringle, 22, told the Daily Mail. ''I am absolutely devastated. (She) was the most beautiful girl in the world.'' Neighbours left floral tributes at the scene. One message read: ''A little smiler. Up with the angels. RIP.'' Police said more details of the incident would be released later today.

REUTERS DKA RN1723