A YOUNG child has died after falling into a water container in his own back garden.

Mum Nicola Thorne found her fifteen-month-old son Jack lying unconscious, face down in the water.

Despite desperate attempts to resuscitate him, she could not revive him and made a frantic 999 call.

Jack was treated by paramedics at the house Westman Road in the Weeke area of Winchester.

He was taken to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester where staff managed to revive him. However he suffered a relapse and was pronounced dead at 9.59pm.

A post mortem will be carried out next week.

Nicola, 33, today paid tribute to her son in a statement.

She said: "Jack was a happy, lively boy who loved everybody and was adored by everyone. He loved being outside with his brothers and our dog and pet rabbit. He was active and never had a care in the world.

Jack will be greatly missed by the whole family, especially his six and eight-year-old brothers. I don't know how any of us will come to terms with his death. A part of us will be empty for quite some time."

It is understood that a previous occupant of the house buried an old dustbin the ground as a water container. The toddler is thought to have leaned over it and fallen in.

Just before 6.30pm yesterday, Nicola realised she had not seen Jack for a few minutes. Despite searching the house and garden, she could not find the toddler.

After she asked Jack's brothers if they had seen him, one of the boys looked out of an upstairs window and shouted to his mum that he could see Jack in the water container.

Detectives are investigating the tragedy but are not treating it as suspicious.

Scenes of crime officers were at the semi-detached council house today and took away several objects including a cylindrical container about 2ft high and one-and-a-half feet in diameter.

Today the property was empty but children's toys were visible on a front upstairs bedroom windowsill.

Neighbours said single mum Nicola had recently won some money on television programme This Morning and had planned to use some of it to take her children on holiday.

The family had lived at the house for about two years.

Another neighbour Gina Evans said: "The first thing we heard was a lot of commotion outside and two ambulances turned up so we knew something serious had happened.

"This is a terrible tragedy and our hearts go out to the family who must be absolutely devastated."

Eileen Berry, city councillor for Weeke, said: "Who would ever foresee this? As a local councillor I'm absolutely devastated for the loss of an innocent life, it's so sad. I really do feel for the parents.

"I've got grandchildren and great grandchildren myself so it really brings it home, words fail me."

Local vicar, the Rev Terry Roberts, of St Barnabas Church in Weeke, said it was very sad.