Call for action after deaths of children falling from windows

In a tragic review of accidental deaths of children in England who fell from a window or balcony, the majority of falls were caused by window locks that had been disabled, were broken, missing or not in use. In a third of cases, the lock had been intentionally overridden or was not in use, at times due to overheating or lack of ventilation.

 

The findings add a new dimension the growing risk of overheated homes in England. An estimated 5.5 million children – more than half of those in England – live in homes at risk of overheating according to the English Housing Survey 2022. Overheating increases health risks especially for older people and children.

 

The review conducted by the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) looked at the deaths of children aged under 11. Fatal accidents involving children aged 11 years and over were excluded from the review.

 

A total of 16 children (under the age of 11) died in the six years leading up to May 2025 due to a fall from a window or balcony, with 12 of these deaths in children aged under 5.

 

 

Twelve of the children lived in flats, 9 in social housing and three in private-rented accommodation. None of the children lived in owner-occupied homes. According to the English Housing Survey 2023-2024, Energy Follow Up Survey, low-income householders are more likely to live in buildings at risk of overheating.

 

13 of the 16 deaths were falls from a window. In a third of these cases, window locks were disabled or not in use, with some restrictors overridden due to hot weather or when cooking and cleaning to let smoke and smells out.

 

In some instances, overcrowded living meant the family had to position the furniture in ways that proved unsafe for young children, the NCMD revealed.

 

In two-thirds of cases, there was either no window lock at all or the restrictor was broken. The NCMD noted that some families had reported windows as broken, sometimes on multiple occasions, and the landlord or Local Authority had not fixed them quickly enough.

 

Around a fifth of homes in the UK are already overheating according to The Climate Change Committee (CCC). In 2025, the committee criticised the government’s efforts to combat urban overheating as “weak and poorly monitored.” The committee notes that new building regulations on overheating in Part O cover new-build homes only.

 

Recommendations to the government by the CCC include providing incentives for the installation of air-to-air heat pumps which provide heating and cooling, as well as developing policy for cooling buildings, such as improved ventilation, green spaces and shade.

 

Find out more Read the briefing "Deaths of children aged under 11 years as a result of a fall from a window or balcony" by the National Child Mortality Database