'He was my best friend... he was the apple of our eyes' - Devastated mum of boy, 2, killed in fireplace accident pays tribute

The devastated mum of a two-year-old boy who died in a fireplace accident at his home in Wigan has paid tribute to her 'best friend'.

Carter Walsh suffered a serious head injury when a marble fireplace fell on him as he danced in the living room of his family home on Fisher Close on Wednesday (September 18). Sadly, the toddler later died in hospital.

Speaking for the first time today his mum Samantha Walsh, 38, described the son as the 'apple of our eyes' as she paid tribute to him. She said: "He was my best friend.

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"He was well-loved, not just by his family but by anybody that met him. He broke the hearts of everybody he met... He was the apple of our eyes."

His devastated auntie Natalie Prescot, 35, said Carter had had the 'best day ever' with his family on Wednesday before his tragic death. He had been for lunch at a carvery restaurant with her mum, sister and daughter, Saskia Prescott, 16.

He then got to visit some horses - with the final photo of him showing him gazing up at one of them. Carter was then driven back to his home where Saskia had played with him for around 20 minutes while Samantha was out, Natalie said.

But disaster struck as they were dancing in the living room when the marble fireplace collapsed - after its bottom section 'snapped' - and fell on him.

Natalie said: "The fireplace, it just collapsed in the middle. It was giving and it’s just collapsed and it’s just come forward. It was a marble fireplace."

Saskia and the property's landlord, who was at the address fixing a boiler at the time, phoned an ambulance and tried to resuscitate Carter straight away. Carter's mum Samantha learned of the incident moments