Ten-year-old boy dies after 'store furniture incident' in Topshop

Schoolboy discovered lying on floor in Reading branch during first day of half-term

Police tape cordons off a crime scene
(Image credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

A ten-year-old boy has died after suffering serious head injuries in an "incident involving store furniture" in a Berkshire branch of Topshop.

He was found lying on the floor in a branch in the Oracle Shopping Centre, Reading, shortly after 4pm yesterday and taken to Royal Berkshire Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Police are treating the death as "unexplained but non-suspicious" and his family have been informed

A police spokesman said: "On attendance, officers found that a ten-year-old boy had suffered serious head injuries after an incident involving store furniture. The boy was taken to the Royal Berkshire hospital where sadly he was pronounced dead."

The entrance to the shopping centre was cordoned off to allow paramedics to treat the boy in privacy before he was taken to hospital.

Officers interviewed witness on the scene for more than two hours, reports the Reading Chronicle.

Neighbours have been paying tribute to the unnamed schoolboy, who was said to be "enjoying the first day of the half-term break", says the local paper.

"Absolutely shocking news. Thoughts go out to all family and friends at such a sad time," wrote one. Another said: "Can't even begin to imagine how his family are feeling R.I.P. darling boy. Xx."

Topshop is yet to make an official statement.

Explore More