The bodies of three young children have been discovered in a house by police investigating the death of a pregnant woman who fell from a multi-storey car park.
The woman, named locally as Fiona Anderson, 20, is believed to be the mother of the youngsters, who were found dead at a property in London Road South, Lowestoft, Suffolk, on Monday.
Police said she was heavily pregnant and died as a result of head injuries sustained after falling from a multi-storey car park in Gordon Road just after 8am.
While they were not releasing identities immediately, Suffolk police said it believed the woman was the mother of the dead children, and that they were treating the deaths of the children as suspicious. They said the names would not be formally released until identification had taken place, but last night, the youngsters were named locally as Levina, three, Addy, two, and an 11-month-old baby boy.
Friends said the woman had recently split up with her boyfriend the and father of her children, Craig McLelland, and had complained that she needed help from social services.
Det Supt John Brocklebank of the Norfolk and Suffolk major investigation team said: "We are in the early stages of a large investigation into what has happened. It is too early to be able to come up with a definitive explanation and we will be keeping an open mind.
"However, from our initial inquiries, we do not believe there is any threat to the wider community. Our priorities now are to establish the circumstances behind the woman's death and how it may be related to the deaths of the three children."
Speaking outside the terraced house where the children were discovered, friend Karligh Smith, 20, said: "It's devastating – she was the most lovely mother.
"She had asked social services for help because she had three kids, another on the way, and she had to do all that by herself.
"Craig is devastated too. He came here to pay his respects this afternoon."
In a statement, Suffolk police said: "An area of Lowestoft was closed off this morning, Monday 15 April, after a woman was found with severe head injuries. Police attended the incident in Gordon Road just after 8am. It is believed she fell from a car park. Ambulance and air ambulance attended. However, the woman, who is believed to be in her 20s, was pronounced deceased on scene.
"Inquiries into the incident led police to an address in London Road South, Lowestoft, where the bodies of three children were discovered.
"The children are all believed to be infants aged three, two and 11 months.
"Police are treating their deaths as suspicious and they will be taken to the James Paget Hospital at Gorleston for post-mortem examinations by a Home Office pathologist."
A Facebook page belonging to Fiona Anderson but under the name Fiona Chisolm appeared to show a picture of the children with their father. In the last post made from the profile on Monday, a picture was uploaded of an ultrasound scan showing a baby.
Another post made last night read: "Levina addy kyden evalie mummy will keep you safe. Mummy loves you. Mummy will keep you safe."