An 11-year-old schoolgirl has been found dead near a cricket ground in a quiet Worcestershire village, with police investigating the circumstances surrounding her unexplained death.
The girl, locally identified as Miya Deamer-Jones, was reported missing at around 11.20pm before her body was discovered near Elmley Castle Cricket Club in Worcestershire.
West Mercia Police said the investigation remains ongoing and that the circumstances of the child’s death have not yet been established.
Miya’s family has been informed and is being supported by specially trained officers.
Torches were seen hours before Miya was reported missing
The discovery has left the small village of Elmley Castle deeply shocked.
Retired local resident Nicholas Farrington, who is in his mid-70s, told reporters he had been walking his dog at around 7.45pm on Sunday when he noticed two people carrying torches near the cricket nets.
The area was later identified as the location where Miya was found.
“I was walking my dog and I could see a couple of people with a torch in the exact area where the girl was found,” he said.
At the time, Farrington said he thought the sight was unusual but did not give it further thought.
“I thought it was a bit odd, but didn’t really think any more about it until now.”
The sighting occurred around three and a half hours before police were contacted about Miya being missing. However, there has been no indication from police that the people seen with torches were connected to the girl’s death.
Authorities have urged people not to speculate while enquiries continue.
Family searched for Miya after she failed to return home
Miya is believed to have spent part of Sunday afternoon playing with a friend at her home.
She lived with her mother and at least one of her siblings on a nearby street and was one of four sisters.
A trampoline could be seen in the family’s front garden, while chalk markings were visible on the pavement outside.
It is understood that Miya later went to the cricket field, an area where local children were known to visit the cricket club for hot chocolate.
When she failed to come home, her family began searching the village before police were called at around 11.20pm.
Resident Laurence O’Shaughnessy, 50, said he heard sirens between 11.15pm and 11.30pm but initially thought nothing of them. He later heard emergency vehicles again close to midnight.
“It was only when I woke up this morning that I found out what had happened,” he said.
“It’s frightening. It’s all taped off by the cricket nets, which I think is where she was found.”
Community left devastated
News of Miya’s death quickly spread through the close-knit village, where residents described the tragedy as something they could hardly comprehend.
Sunflowers and other flowers have been placed on a nearby bench as locals gathered to pay their respects.
A note believed to have been written by one of Miya’s school friends read: “You have no idea how much I miss you. You will always be apart of me and apart of my heart. I love you so much and it will be hard to cope with out you.”
One person who knew the family described Miya as a “cheeky character” and said there were no words to describe what had happened.
Another local resident said: “She was such a happy girl. This is tragic.”
A further villager described the death as “every parent’s worst nightmare.”
The tragedy has also brought renewed attention to the loss Miya’s family had already experienced. She is believed to have lost her father to cancer three years ago.
A source close to the family said Miya had missed her father greatly and that he had died at the family home.
“It is generally safe”
Residents said the death was particularly difficult to process because of the village’s quiet and familiar nature.
A local woman whose daughter is the same age as Miya described what happened as a “real shock”.
“It is such a close community, everybody knows everybody here,” she said.
“It is generally safe, so it’s just a real shock. We all feel like children are fine here and safe. There’s always children playing here. You just wouldn’t expect it at all.”
She added that residents were supporting one another following the tragedy.
Another villager said she only learned what had happened after her daughter-in-law heard the news and called her.
“It’s a really quiet village and the last place you would expect something like this to happen. It’s tragic,” she said.
Relatives are believed to have gathered at the family home following the discovery.
Miya is understood to have attended Bredon Hill Academy, a middle school in the nearby village of Ashton under Hill.
Police urge public not to speculate
West Mercia Police have launched an investigation into Miya’s death, with officers and police dog handlers seen at the scene as the area around the cricket ground was cordoned off.
Chief Inspector Daniel Pilkington said the death of such a young girl would be deeply upsetting for the local community.
He said police were carrying out enquiries to establish exactly what happened and provide Miya’s family with answers.
Her death is currently being treated as unexplained, rather than police publicly identifying it as a criminal killing.
Pilkington also urged the public to avoid speculation while investigators work to establish the circumstances.
He said an increased police presence in Elmley Castle could be expected as the investigation continued, adding that officers would be available to speak with residents who had concerns.
Police are appealing to anyone who may have information that could assist the investigation to come forward.
For now, a quiet Worcestershire community is left mourning the death of an 11-year-old girl, while investigators work to determine what happened to Miya in the hours before she was found.