UK nurse charged with murder of eight babies

Lucy Letby, a British nurse accused of murdering eight babies and trying to kill another 10, has appeared in court to face charges.

Ms Letby was arrested and charged over the deaths and “non-fatal collapses” at the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in north-west England.

The deaths occurred between June 2015 and June 2016 and the nurse had been arrested twice before.

Ms Letby was arrested in 2018 and 2019 but was released pending further investigation.

An investigation into the hospital has been running since 2017.

The former nurse will appear in court on Thursday.

Police said the parents of all the babies involved were being kept fully updated on developments and were being supported by officers.

Detectives were initially looking at the deaths of 15 babies between June 2015 and 2016.

But the investigation widened to include the deaths of 17 babies and 16 non-fatal collapses between March 2015 and July 2016.

Ms Letby worked at the unit as a student nurse during three years of training before qualifying as a children’s nurse at the University of Chester in 2011.

She remained at the unit after graduating.

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