‘This could have ended in tragedy for us too. More children will die at nurseries if things don’t change’
A 14-month-old boy, Noah Sibanda, died at Fairytales Day Nursery after being suffocated by a staff member who was later jailed for gross negligence manslaughter. Parents of other children who attended the nursery, including Michelle Leech and Kayleigh Arnold, are calling for urgent reforms to childcare safety and oversight to prevent future tragedies. They are demanding mandatory CCTV, stricter staff background checks, better training, and improved enforcement of health and safety standards in nurseries.
- ▪Noah Sibanda died after being tightly wrapped in a sleeping bag, covered with a blanket, and placed face down in an indoor tepee at Fairytales Day Nursery.
- ▪Nursery worker Kimberley Cookson was sentenced to three years and four months in prison for gross negligence manslaughter.
- ▪CCTV footage showed Cookson restraining Noah with her leg and leaving him unattended for two hours.
- ▪The nursery was permanently closed by Ofsted in April 2023 following the incident.
- ▪Parents are demanding mandatory CCTV, enhanced staff training, and stricter safety enforcement in UK nurseries to prevent future child deaths.
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NewsUKCrime‘This could have ended in tragedy for us too. More children will die at nurseries if things don’t change’Noah Sibanda died after he was suffocated at Fairytales Day Nursery Harriette Boucher Sunday 17 May 2026 10:28 BSTBookmarkBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":false,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"b2963690","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/nursery-parents-abuse-ofsted-fairytales-b2963690.html","title":"‘This could have ended in more tragedy.
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