Pictures and video: Shocked residents and workers ask how child could have died after tragic fall from Sheffield Metropolitan Hotel window on Blonk Street

Police are still on the scene at the Sheffield Metropolitan Hotel, on Blonk Street, this evening as investigations continue into how the youngster fell to his death in the tragic incident.

Two officers were controlling access to the NCP car park between the Metropolitan and the nearby Holiday Inn, while both plain clothed and uniformed officers could be seen going in and out of the Metropolitan's front entrance.

Two police vans and two police cars could be seen in the hotel’s main car park, as guests continued to come and go at the main entrance. Another marked police van remained next to the entrance to the car park.

South Yorkshire Police issued a statement on the incident.

It said: “We are sorry to share a boy has sadly died after falling from a building in Sheffield this afternoon.

"Emergency services were called to the Sheffield Metropolitan Hotel on Blonk Street, Sheffield at around 2.30pm today (18 August) after reports the boy had fallen from a window.

"The boy’s family are being supported by specially trained officers. No formal identification has taken place yet.

“Enquiries are in the early stages to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.”

The car park had been closed this afternoon as police carried out investigations, and nearby residents said they believed it was the top floor of the car park, which the Metropolitan backs onto, which had been where police had been concentrating much of their investigation.

People living and working nearby were shocked and horrified to hear what had happened, and were asking how the windows could have been opened wide enough for someone to fall out of them.

Mick Cottingham, who works nearby, said his thoughts were with the family after the tragedy.

He said: “I’m absolutely shocked to hear what's happened.

"I can’t understand how it could have happened. Hotels have windows that are restricted to stop people opening them up fully. That’s a health and safety feature that you see in hotels. What on earth could it have happened?

"I’m a father myself. I really feel for that poor family.”

Nearby resident David Gurnhill lives nearby at the North Bank Building, directly opposite the Metropolitan on the other side of the River Don. He was also shocked by what had happened

He said he and his partner had noticed open windows in the hotel in the past.

He said police had been taking photographs on the top floor of the car park earlier today.

"It’s so awful to hear what has happened,” he said. “My thoughts are with the family.

"We live close by and some of the windows sometimes look pretty wide open.”

He said it was awful to think of the tragedy happening so close to the North Bank Building, where two year old Ryaheen Banimuslem died after falling 60ft from the fourth floor of the block in 2012.

The hotel is situated just yards away across the Don.

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