Appeal into toddler Mariam Alam's death launched one year on

What happened to three-year-old Mariam Alam? Detectives have released this CCTV footage in a bid to find answers over her death. (s)

JUST minutes after this CCTV footage of Mariam Alam bouncing into a supermarket was filmed, the toddler was fighting for her life.

The three-year-old had collapsed at her Foleshill home with a head injury and, despite ambulance crews' efforts, she could not be saved.

A 35-year-old man and two women, aged 32 and 25, were arrested and later bailed but no-one has been charged.

One year on, mystery still surrounds her death and detectives are re-appealing for information.

They have released this CCTV footage, which shows Mariam and her mother entering the Lidl store near to their Fisher Road home.

Officers also handed out appeal leaflets - translated into several languages - in the area and spoke to neighbours and passers-by in the hope of jogging people's memories.

Detectives believe members of the community have information, and appealed for an anonymous male caller, who phoned police on January 9 this year with information that led to two arrests, to get back in touch with the enquiry team.

Detective Inspector Chris Hanson said: "To lose a child in such circumstances is unimaginable.

"This was always going to be a distressing and complex case for all involved but despite a number of initially positive lines of inquiry, one year on we are yet to fully understand what happened to Mariam or bring anyone to justice over her death.

"Someone out there knows what happened to Mariam and I'm convinced answers lie in the local community.

"That's why, 12 months on, I'm appealing to anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, about Mariam or what happened to her on the day she died to come forward.

"I am keen to understand where Mariam was, what she was doing and who she was with in the minutes between leaving Lidl and becoming critically ill.

"Someone may have even overheard a conversation in which people revealed details on the case which never appeared in the media."

* THE CCTV footage is available on the force's YouTube channel - http://youtu.be/s0cryla5Jyg - and shows Mariam wearing a red flowery dress, white tights and a pink coat walking in front of her mother as they enter Lidl in John Wigley Way at 1pm.

They can be seen leaving five minutes later but at around 1.20pm paramedics were called to the address in Fisher Road after the child collapsed. Despite the best efforts of medics, the toddler couldn't be saved.

Anyone with information should call Det Insp Hanson on 101. Alternatively, people who do not want to speak with police officers directly can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Regional news »