Girl, 5, reported missing by desperate mum found drowned in canal near home less than an hour later, inquest told

A YOUNG girl was found drowned in a canal less than an hour after her desperate mum reported her missing, an inquest was told.

Malika Hibu, five, was pulled from the water by a hero neighbour following the horror near her home in Islington, North London.

An inquest heard how the youngster had been reported missing by her mum before the tragedy in February unfolded.

During that time, a local saw Malika, who had autism, swinging from a railing by the path before she skipped away “with a spring in her step”.

Another witness, Marion Brown, was on her way to a friend’s house when Malika’s mum told her the youngster was missing.

She told St Pancras Coroner’s Court: “I held onto the railing on the edge of the canal and I looked over into the water.

“I saw something in the water that was pink and blue. I then realised it was the little girl with her face down in the water.

“I could see her pink and blue jacket was floating on the water surface. My legs buckled and I fell to the floor.”

After hearing screams, neighbour Bill Norman jumped in the canal to pull Malika out just before the police arrived.

She was rushed to St Thomas’ Hospital but sadly couldn’t be saved and was declared dead later that night.

A post-mortem gave the youngster’s cause of death as drowning.

Giving evidence, Malika’s mum Huria Ali said her daughter was “more of a risk” than other children due to her autism but knew never to play at the canal unless she was present.

The mum also recalled how she discovered Malika had vanished on the day of the tragedy.

She said: “The front door was closed. I checked every room at home and when I noticed she was not there I ran to the canal to check, because I was always scared of the canal.

“I knew something would happen. My children never go alone on that canal.”

The mum told how she called her husband, who then phoned the police.

While Huria was talking to officers at the scene, someone called out that they had found her “funny, sweet” daughter.

She told the court a neighbour had previously complained about the safety of the canal railings as she felt it was “not safe” for families.

Peabody said they had received a complaint in 2019 but found the land running next to the canal was the responsibility of the Canal and River Trust.

The inquest continues.