Fenwick Colchester: £2,000 raised for family of dead boy

The child was fatally injured at the Fenwick department store on Colchester's High Street

A fund set up to help the family of a five-year-old boy who died after sustaining a serious head injury at a department store has raised more than £2,000 in 24 hours.

It is understood the child was hit by a mirror at the Fenwick store on Colchester's High Street on 27 July.

Police confirmed on Tuesday that the boy, who was not being named, had died.

A spokeswoman for the group which set up the fund said the community "had really come together".

Fenwick said the Colchester store would remain closed on Wednesday "as a mark of respect"

Alice Simpson, who runs the Colchester Community Group on Facebook, said administrators held a meeting as soon as the boy's death was announced and decided they would like to help the family.

She said the group had approval from the child's mother to set up a fundraising page.

"We know this will only go a small way to help with the grief this family must be feeling, but we wanted to show that the whole community is supportive," the Facebook page said.

'So heart-warming'

Ms Simpson said the amount raised so far was "fantastic" and the family could use the money as they saw fit.

"I know it's not going to bring the little boy back but if it can help in any way... the community has just been so thoughtful and have really come together," she said.

"It's so heart-warming. It just shows what a community can do when something like this happens in our town."

An investigation into the incident is being led by Colchester Borough Council

Essex Police said it was "extremely saddened" to learn of the boy's death.

No further details have been released about the incident.

Fenwick has said the company was working with the local authorities to understand what happened and that the Colchester store would remain closed on Wednesday "as a mark of respect".

Colchester Borough Council said it was investigating.