A one-year-old boy has died and a little girl the same age is fighting for her life in hospital after they sustained “critical injuries” in north London.

Police have not revealed how they suffered the injuries, but a helicopter was deployed to hunt for “a suspect” last night.

Emergency services were called at 11.10pm last night to a flat in Wilberforce Road near Finsbury Park, Hackney.

The toddlers were rushed to an east London hospital but the boy was pronounced dead shortly before 1am.

Neighbours told the BBC that a woman, believed to be the children’s mother, came down the stairs of the flat late last night screaming for help and calling out, “My kids, my kids”.

Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime command are investigating.

Police said enquiries are underway to establish the full circumstances and no arrests have been made yet.

A statement from Scotland Yard said: “The Metropolitan Police said: “Next of kin are aware. Formal identification awaits and a post-mortem examination will be scheduled in due course.”

The National Air Police Service wrote on Twitter that it sent a helicopter to help Hackney Police officers search “for a suspect” in Finsbury Park.