What we know about three children found dead at a house in Surrey
An investigation is underway after a man and three children all aged under four were found dead at a house in Surrey.
The bodies were found by police at the property in Bremer Road, Staines-Upon-Thames, at around 1.15pm on Saturday.
Surrey Police confirmed that the three children were related to the man. The force said it believes it was an isolated incident with no third-party involvement.
Post-mortem examinations and formal identification of the bodies was set to take place in due course.
Floral tributes have been laid at the property, with one reading: “Rest in peace little ones. We will always think of you.”
What we know
Surrey Police said they were called to the property in Bremer Road on Saturday afternoon (31 August) at around 1.15pm by South-East Coast Ambulance service where officers found the bodies of three children and a man.
Neighbours said they believed a young Polish family with twins lived at the house, and that the three children were all boys.
Next door neighbour Shehr Sikandari told Metro he heard a woman’s ‘horrific screams’ shortly before police arrived.
He said: "It is unbelievable and traumatic what we have heard. We are still in shock. Three lovely children – we have seen them playing."
Police later confirmed that the children and man involved were all related and the three children were all under the age of four.
Their mother and next of kin are aware and being supported by specialist officers, the force added.
DCI Gareth Hicks who is leading the investigation, said: “This is a truly tragic incident and a thorough investigation is underway to establish exactly what happened. We would like to thank the local community for their support and understanding whilst we have been conducting our enquiries.
Surrey Police has also completed a mandatory referral to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to previous police contact with those involved.
An IOPC spokesperson said: “We have been notified by Surrey Police about the tragic incident in Spelthorne. We will be assessing a referral from the force to decide whether any action is required by the IOPC.”
What we don't know
Despite speculation by neighbours, we don't know exactly who the people are who were found in the house.
We also don't know what happened at the property, and how the three children and man died.
Some media have named the man as Piotr Swiderski, with one image showing him with three young children believed to be his sons. But his identity and that of the three boys found in the house have not officially been confirmed by the authorities.
It is also unknown what previous police contact the IOPC is referring to, and what it entailed.
