Dancing boy, 2, killed by falling marble fireplace and TV that wasn't fixed to wall, inquest told

A two year-old boy was killed when a marble fireplace and a television fell on top of him as he danced in the living room of his home, a court heard today (September 26). An inquest into the tragic death of toddler Carter Walsh was opened and adjourned.

A coroner's court heard the marble fireplace wasn't secured to the wall and the television, which wasn't described, was sitting unsecure on top of it. The television, too, wasn't attached to the wall.

Carter - described by his mother as 'the apple of our eyes' - was dancing to a programme on the television at the time at his home on Fisher Close in Worsley Mesnes, Wigan.

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Bolton Coroner's Court heard today that 'workmen' who were at the property lifted the fireplace and television off Carter as the emergency services were called. Sadly, he died in hospital later.

Police, paramedics and the air ambulance were alerted to the incident at around 2.15pm on Wednesday, September 18.

Police coroner's officer Julieann Hyde, giving evidence at the brief opening, said Carter was being looked after by a relative at the time while his mother, Samantha Walsh, was at work. She said the television was 'balanced' on top of the marble fireplace, which wasn't fixed to the wall in the living room.

"Suddenly, they fell over on top of him," said Ms Hyde.

She said workmen 'lifted' the fireplace and television from him. Carter was taken to the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan, but he was sadly pronounced dead at 3.29pm, the court heard. A post-mortem examination gave a provisional cause of death as head injuries.

None of Carter's family were present at the hearing, which