A four-year-old girl has died following an incident at a swimming pool in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.

Police said they were “called to Waterworld on Festival Way at around 4.20pm to reports of a girl, aged four, in a critical condition”.

“Waterworld staff and colleagues from the West Midlands Ambulance Service treated the girl at the scene before paramedics took her to hospital for further treatment,” officers added.

“Despite the best efforts of hospital staff, the girl died a short while later.

“The girl’s next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially-trained officers.”

Detective Chief Inspector Lucy Maskew from Staffordshire Police said: “Our thoughts are with the family at this terribly sad time.

“We are now making enquiries and looking to establish the circumstances of the incident. We would ask that members of the public avoid speculating in these early stages of the investigation and allow the family to grieve.”

A Waterworld spokesperson said: “It is with great sadness that we learned of this little girl’s passing this evening.

“All our thoughts are with her family and loved ones during these extremely difficult times. Waterworld is in shock and has decided to remain closed tomorrow out of respect for the family. Waterworld is working closely with the authorities at this sad time.”

In a post on Facebook, Waterworld said the fatal incident happened at 4.15pm, “in the lagoon area of the aqua park”.

The girl was “found unconscious and treated on poolside by our lifeguard and management teams on site.

Read more on Sky News:
Storm Floris latest: UK hit by 124mph winds
Kremlin urges nuclear caution
How Euros star juggled studies and training

“They immediately provided CPR and called the emergency services, who arrived around 4.20pm.

“All other visitors were asked to quietly leave the pool out of respect for the rescue operation underway, and we would like to thank them for their support and collaboration.”

Waterworld describes itself on its website as “the UK’s number one tropical indoor aqua park”.

Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron’s migrant deal comes into force today, with detentions set to begin by the end of the week.

The “one in, one out” pilot scheme – which will allow the UK to send some people who have crossed the Channel back to France in exchange for asylum seekers with ties to Britain – was signed last week, and has now been approved by the European Commission.

Politics latest: PM Sir Keir Starmer responds to mass letter from 255 MPs on Palestine

It comes as 2025 is on course to be a record year for crossings.

Approximately 25,436 people have already made the journey this year, according to PA news agency analysis of Home Office figures – 49% higher than at the same point in 2024.

The prime minister and the French president hailed the deal as a “good agreement” when it was first announced during the latter’s visit to the UK last month.

The scheme also means that anyone arriving in a small boat can be detained immediately, with space set aside at immigration removal centres in anticipation of their arrival.

Sir Keir said the ratification of the treaty will “send a clear message – if you come here illegally on a small boat you will face being sent back to France”.

“This is the product of months of grown-up diplomacy delivering real results for British people as we broker deals no government has been able to achieve and strike at the heart of these vile gangs’ business model,” he added.

“The days of gimmicks and broken promises are over – we will restore order to our borders with the seriousness and competence the British people deserve.”

Read more:
What is the UK-France migrant returns deal?
Clampdown on social media ads for Channel crossings unveiled

Ministers have so far declined to say how many people could be returned under the deal, however, there have been reports that under the scheme only 50 people a week will be returned to France.

The Conservatives have branded the agreement a “surrender deal” and said it will make “no difference whatsoever”.

Chris Philp MP, the shadow home secretary, said: “Returning just 50 illegal immigrants a week, and probably less, will make no difference whatsoever.

“This is a gimmick which won’t work.”

Under the terms of the agreement, adults arriving on small boats will face being returned to France if their asylum claim is inadmissible.

In exchange, the same number of people will be able to come to the UK on a new legal route, provided they have not attempted a crossing before and subject to stringent documentation and security checks.

The pilot scheme is set to run until June 2026, pending a longer-term agreement.

Travellers have been warned to expect disruption to trains in Scotland today as the country continues to feel the effects of Storm Floris.

Services are likely to be affected as the storm – which brought winds of up to 124mph on Monday, bringing down trees and power lines, closing roads and cancelling flights – blows through.

Storm Floris as it happened

The Scottish government held an emergency meeting last night to discuss the “significant disruption” caused and the efforts under way to recover, as rail operators look to clear routes covered by debris and utilities firms work to reconnect properties experiencing power outages.

Ross Moran, Network Rail Scotland’s route director, said teams had been “working tirelessly to keep services moving where possible and to clear fallen trees and debris from the tracks”.

By the evening, their focus had switched to “inspecting routes which have been closed by fallen trees, debris and other damage”, and work will continue into today.

“We’re grateful to passengers for their patience whilst we do this,” Mr Moran added.

Most weather warnings have expired, but a yellow warning for wind is in place until 8am over the Shetland Islands and Orkney, and showers will remain throughout the rest of Scotland.

Rail, road, and ferry travel was disrupted by the storm on Monday, as 100 Edinburgh Fringe events were cancelled, according to organisers.

At one point, more than 30,000 people were without power.

At least 68 flights were cancelled, aviation analytics firm Cirium said, with Aberdeen and Belfast City the worst-affected airports.

Western coastal areas bore the brunt of the storm, but strong winds and heavy rain affected much of the rest of the country.

Police received “multiple reports” of camper vans blown over on the A87 between Broadford and Portree on Skye, while in Aberdeenshire the A96 was closed in both directions near Old Rayne because of fallen trees.

Fallen trees have also seen a number of other roads closed, including the A95 Rosarie road in both directions, while the A9 at Daviot was partially blocked by a fallen tree and the A1 Tyne Bridge was only open to cars and single-decker buses.

Read more on Sky News:
First female MI5 chief dies
Girl, 4, dies at water park
How Euros star juggled studies and training

Those driving in poor weather have been urged to avoid the worst-hit areas and slow down when on the roads while allowing time for delays.

Ferries have also seen widespread disruption, with ferry operator CalMac cancelling a number of sailings because of high winds.

Monday’s top wind speed was 124mph at Cairngorm, a mountain range in northern Scotland, according to Met Office data.

Sky News weather producer Christopher England said Tuesday would be a “much calmer”, though still windy – see your local forecast here.