Tragedy as 13 children die in UK falling from windows

Thirteen children have died after falling from the windows of their rented or temporary accommodation in the past six years. Landlords have been urged to make fixing windows and locks a priority after the shocking study into fatalities of very young and primary-school age children.

Study authors the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) said these deaths, all of which were of children under 11, were "entirely preventable". In some cases between April 2019 and May 2025, families had reported broken windows. Four cases had no locks or restrictors limiting how far a window can open, another four had broken locks or restrictors, and in a further four they were not in use or had been disabled.

Exodus Eyod died after falling from an open window on the seventh floor of a tower block in Leeds in 2022. The one-year-old climed on a bed and fell through the window after its restrictor was disengaged because it was a hot day.

Lawyer Gareth Naylor, who represented Exodus' family at his inquest, said the toddler fell a "split second" after an adult left the room, he told the BBC.

He said: "What they ignored during [Exodus's] inquest is that these apartments are tiny, and the bed can only go under the window."

Mr Naylor said the family lost Exodus in "terrible circumstances", and called for a "mesh or guard" to be added for protection if children are living in tower blocks.

The family had previously complained about how wide the windows could open, but the coroner determined that they weren't defective and ruled the death an accident.

A second report from England's housing watchdog added that window safety issues in social housing are as bad as damp and mould.

The Housing Ombudsman Service sent an open letter to landlords, encouraging them to "review their own complaints relating to windows to identify any actions they should be taking".

It added: "Window-related complaints often involve complex issues ranging from design concerns and prolonged disrepair, exacerbated by a lack of funding and historic underinvestment in social housing infrastructure.

"Investigations show that landlords have not always responded in a timely way, and sometimes important repairs have been deferred."