A heavily pregnant woman who plunged 90ft to her death from a 17-storey tower block has today been pictured and named locally as Emma Atkinson.
A small bunch of flowers was seen last night resting up against a bollard outside Shakespeare Towers, in Burmantofts, Leeds, in tribute to the young mother who was weeks away from expecting her fifth child.
Paramedics battled to save Emma’s life after she fell from the tenth floor yesterday morning but she was declared dead at the scene.
Her baby was later delivered five weeks premature in hospital and is today under ‘critical care’.
Heartfelt tributes from heartbroken friends and family have flooded social media in memory of the ‘beautiful’ mother, who was aged in her 30s.
Emma’s daughter announced the tragic news on Facebook in an emotional tribute to her mother as she wrote: ‘I need you so much mum, please come home. I just wanna kiss you and hear your voice. I love you more then life mum.’
Officers say there are ‘no suspicious circumstances’ in connection with her death.
Only last month a beaming Emma posted a picture on her Facebook page of her posing in front of a mirror proudly showing off her bump.
Flowers have today been left at the spot where Emma fell. One floral tribute read: ‘Emma, you will be missed. Love Mark, Dawn and fam xxx.’
Another read: ‘Emma. RIP my girl. Love ya lots. Donna, Lee and kids xxx’
Local resident Mandy Shires, 45, told MailOnline: ‘I saw all the commotion after that poor lady fell.
‘The window she fell from was wide open all day.
‘She had no chance falling from that height, but it can only be a miracle that her baby is alive. We are all preying the little girl makes It through.’
Close friend Dylan Connolly described her as the ‘crazy friend we all needed’ and said: ‘You was far too good for this life.’
Zoe White said she was ‘broke’ and that she ‘could not believe it’ when she heard of Emma’s death.
She wrote: ‘Oh my heart I can’t believe it iv been in denial all day, I am broke, one of the best, I honestly can’t put into words the pain in my heart for you and your kids it’s just devastating,’ they wrote.
‘My girl you are truly loved rest in peace beautiful one xxxxxxxxxx.’
Childhood friend Roxy Rooks said the news was ‘just devastating beyond words’.
One shocked resident who lives on the 14th floor told how he had heard a ‘thud’ followed by screaming.
He told the BBC: ‘It’s a shock to everybody, to the whole community.’
Wakefield coroner’s court has confirmed it has received a file in relation to Emma’s death.
Leeds city council Labour councillor Luke Farley described the incident as ‘deeply distressing’ and said the area was home to a number of young families.
He said: ‘I also want to reassure residents that there will be a police presence there over the next day or so.’
Councillor Asghar Khan added that he ‘was so saddened to hear this shocking news’.
A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said yesterday: ‘At 10.24am today, police were contacted by the ambulance service who had been called to an incident where a woman had fallen from height at Shakespeare Towers, in Shakespeare Approach, Burmantofts.
‘The woman died at the scene as result of her injuries.
‘There were no suspicious circumstances and the Coroner’s Office has been informed.
‘The woman, aged in her thirties, was in the late stage of pregnancy and her baby was delivered at hospital after the incident and is receiving critical care.’
The flats, which were built in the 1960s, are owned by Leeds city council and were recently refurbished.
Leeds city council declined to comment saying it was referring all requests to the police force.