The body of a two-year-old girl was found in her pushchair at an Ipswich housing unit, an inquest has heard.

On Friday, an inquest was opened into the death of Isabella Wheildon, whose body was discovered at a temporary housing unit in Ipswich on Friday, June 30.

The two-year-old was born in Stevenage in Hertfordshire on September 22, 2020.

Detective Inspector Craig Powell, of Suffolk police, spoke before Suffolk Coroners' Court in Ipswich on Friday.

He said that the police had received calls concerned for the welfare of Isabella in the morning of Friday, June 30.

Officers arrived at the unit of Sidegate Lane, which was the temporary home of Isabella.

Her mother, Chelsea Gleason-Mitchell, 22, and Gleason-Mitchell’s boyfriend Scott Jeff, also 22, have been charged with her murder.

Officers found no signs of life from Isabella in the flat.

They forced entry to the locked bathroom, where they found the body of Isabella, who had been strapped into her pushchair.

She is thought to have died between Monday, June 26 and Friday, June 30.

The court heard that Isabella’s body was identified by her father, Thomas Wheildon.

On Saturday, July 1, both Isabella’s mother and Jeff were arrested in Bury St Edmunds.

Gleason-Mitchell and Jeff, both of no fixed address but formerly of the Bedfordshire area, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on Wednesday, July 5 and have been remanded in custody ahead of their next court hearing on Monday, October 9.

A police investigation into Isabella's death remains underway.

DI Powell told the court that a criminal investigation is likely to take place in early 2024.

Nigel Parsley, senior coroner for Suffolk, said that an inquest would therefore aim to take place in April, pending the police investigation.

At present, Isabella’s medical cause of death is awaiting further tests.