POLICE have announced that they no longer consider the death of a toddler on Christmas Day as suspicious.

Erin Louise Reed drowned in the bath at her family home in Middlesbrough.

Police have interviewed each member of her family and say the death of the 18-month-old was a tragic accident.

An inquest into Erin's death will be opened today.

She had been playing in the bath at 10.45am with her three-year-old sister when her mother, Melissa Connolly, 29, went to get a towel.

Ms Connolly then heard screaming from Erin. She ran back to find her daughter face down in the water.

Police said Ms Connolly, who has only lived at the house in Roworth Road, Thorntree, Middlesbrough, for a few weeks, was likely to be too distraught to be properly interviewed for some time.