Saddness at death of girl, 5

From the archive, first published Thursday 9th Feb 2006.

A five-year-old girl has died suddenly after contracting what is believed to be a vomiting bug.

Tributes were yesterday paid to Zaina Haroon at a special assembly held at her school, Allerton Primary.

A nursery building at the school in Garforth Street, Allerton, will close tomorrow for a thorough clean after an outbreak of sickness there.

But head teacher Sharon Lambert stressed that Zaina was not a pupil in the unit, which is separate to the main school building, and the sickness outbreak was not being linked to her death.

An inquest into Zaina's death was opened and adjourned yesterday by Bradford Coroner Roger Whittaker.

Coroner's staff would not say whether a cause of death had been established.

A spokesman for Bradford Health Protection Unit said it was monitoring the outbreak of sickness at the school's nursery.

But she said the cause of Zaina's death was not a type of which it would be notified.

Mourners filled the street as Zaina's funeral took place yesterday afternoon at the Jamiyat Tabligh-ul-Islam mosque in Toller Lane.

Parents of pupils at Allerton Primary have been sent letters informing them of Zaina's death.

In a statement Mrs Lambert said: "The school received some very sad news that one of our pupils had suddenly died at home in the early hours of Monday.

"The thoughts of the whole school community are with the family at this very distressing time.

"A special assembly was held in memory and to celebrate the joy this pupil brought to our school.

"We are closing the nursery on Friday - which is a separate building from the school - to give it a thorough clean because of a recent bout of sickness there.

"The closing of the nursery is not linked to the pupil's tragic death."

A spokesman for Bradford Health Protection Unit said: "There is no notification that would suggest this is anything for the Health Protection Unit.

"The Health Protection Unit and the environmental health department are monitoring the outbreak of sickness at the nursery and it appears to be under control."

One mother, who was picking up her children outside the school, said she believed Zaina had been taken ill suffering from vomiting and diarrohea.

Zaina's parents, who live in Chellow Lane, Allerton, were not available to comment.

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