'Our son went to bed with a runny nose - he never woke up'

The parents of a 16-month-old boy who displayed common cold-like symptoms including a runny nose said it was their "worst nightmare" to learn he had suddenly died in his sleep. Anya Sousa, 41, a beauty therapist from Sheffield, described her son Leonardo, known as Leo, as a "very easy and happy baby" while her husband, Hugo Sousa, 45, a restaurant manager from Portugal, said their son "always wanted to cuddle". In the days leading up to Leo's death on January 1, 2024, Anya explained the entire family – including their daughter Sienna, now six – had colds after returning from a holiday in Portugal, so she attributed his lack of energy and lethargy to him feeling "under the weather ". Anya left Leo and Sienna with her mother, Diane Middleton, and mentioned they had all been "poorly" but that nothing appeared unusual.