Police Pic: Ian Britton

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman and her baby daughter were found dead in Hackney.

Valerie Forde the 45-year-old mother, and Jahzarah McKoy her 23-month-old baby, were pronounced dead at a house in Oswald’s Mead in E9 on Monday, March 31.

Police arrived shortly after 9am following reports of 3 people being injured.  A 53-year-old man was taken to an east London hospital, with what are not thought to be life-threatening injuries.  He was later arrested and remains in hospital in a stable condition.

The victims have not yet been named and post-mortems will be taking place.  Friends and neighbours have laid flowers and tributes outside the terraced house which has been cordoned off by police.

Jeanna Sanderson, 34, said she was the young girl’s godmother. She described her as: “A bubbly child who liked dancing and always had a smile on her face”.

Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are investigating.

Police have referred previous contact with the victim to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

By Hannah Ashton