Woman is arrested over girl’s death

The discovery was made after a woman and a child were reported missing at about 10pm on Tuesday in Inverness, prompting a major police search.

Police said the woman was found early yesterday while the youngster was found dead shortly after 3am at the rear of Raigmore Hospital in the Highland city.

Neither was understood to have been a patient at the hospital.

Northern Constabulary last night confirmed a 43-year-old woman had been arrested and said a report would be sent to the procurator fiscal.

Officers had earlier said that they were treating the girl’s death as suspicious.

They had appealed for anyone who saw a woman walking with a small girl near the hospital between 7pm on Tuesday and early yesterday to get in touch.

About 10 forensics officers were scouring the area yesterday afternoon, searching nearby bins and bushes.

The area was cordoned off with yellow police tape.

Uniformed officers also remained at the scene, which is away from the main hospital building.

Raigmore Hospital is an acute general hospital with 577 beds and it employs more than 3,000 staff, according to NHS Highland’s website.

The establishment is also a clinical teaching centre, providing an undergraduate medical teaching site for the University of Aberdeen.

Local residents voiced their shock at the discovery.

One resident living near the hospital grounds, who did not want to be named, said: “It’s just tragic.

“It’s just one of those tragic things that happens in everyday life now, unfortunately.

“It’s just a terrible, awful thing that’s happened.”