Tragedy We w

Parents are being urged to keep an eye on their children and not to dig deep holes in the sand.

Three-year'“old Abbie Livingstone-Nurse suffocated in the sand at Towans Beach, near Hayle in Cornwall on Sunday.

She and her five-year-old brother Joe became trapped after the walls of a five'“foot deep hole collapsed.

Her mother, Pippa Livingstone'“Nurse said: "We are absolutely devastated '“ too devastated for words. She was our world. She was a fearless little girl. We were in Devon for a week before coming to Cornwall. She climbed Hay Tor and there was no stopping her. Now she has gone."

She and partner, Ian Sayer who live in Goring-by-Sea described it as a 'tragic accident that we will never forget or get over'.

Coastguard Mark Roberts, who was part of the rescue effort said: "It surprised us all really, we have all played on the beach as kids ourselves. Digging holes is obviously dangerous. The main safety point about this is not to dig deep holes in the sand or cliff areas at any time on beach holidays."

Falmouth Coastguard watch manager, James Instance said: "We would advise people that sand is obviously very unstable, so do not dig into sand dunes or dig large holes in the sand because of the danger of collapse. Make sand castles, dig small holes, make dams and enjoy yourself, but do not dig deep holes."

Mr Sayer managed to pull his step'“son free but despite the help of lifeguards, coastguards, firefighters and the public who dug for half an hour, couldn't reach Abbie in time.

"I was desperately trying to reach her," he said. "I kept digging and digging, but the sand kept coming back, falling in. I was frantic. Other people tried to dig, but it was just no good," he said.

"All of us fought, ambulance, fire crews and everyone fought as hard and as quickly as they could to get the girl out," said Mr Roberts.

Penwith area beach manager, Phil Drew said: "It was a big pit, but not particularly deep '“ about four to five feet '“ but because she was only a three-year-old child it was over her head.

"When it collapsed in on top of her she had a heavy weight of sand on her chest. We couldn't get to her to resuscitate her in time. We don't know whether they dug the pit or whether somebody else dug it and they crawled into it. The only speculation is that possibly they were trying to tunnel under as well."

Abbie was airlifted to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro at around 5.50pm, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Her mother, Pippa Livingstone-Nurse and partner Ian Sayer laid flowers where she died before returning home to Goring.

(/DROPCAP_3]< CF151>< IP0>< SC501,110>< TH>TODDLER KILLED:< /IP>< /CF>< IP0> A 16-month-old boy was fatally injured when he was struck by a vehicle in the driveway of his home on the rural southern outskirts of Petworth.

< IP8>The tragedy happened at 6.45pm on August 8 when a family member was manoeuvring a car in a driveway at Hoes Lane, an isolated location with a scattering of houses south of Haslingbourne Lane.

< IP8>Police and ambulance paramedics attended. The baby suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to St Richard's Hospital, Chichester, by Sussex police helicopter. But desperate efforts to save him failed and he died of his injuries.