A man and a woman have been charged with neglect after a seven-year-old girl reportedly died of starvation in Birmingham.

The girl, named by police as Khyra Ishaq, and five other youngsters were found in the early hours of May 17 at a terraced house in Leyton Road, in the Handsworth area of the city.

Angela Gordon, 33, and Junaid Abuhamza, 29, have been charged with child neglect

The six children were discovered lying on mattresses with the seven-year-old seriously ill and the others showing signs of emaciation, according to reports.

All six were taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital where the girl died.

Angela Gordon, 33, and Junaid Abuhamza, 29, have been charged with child neglect. They are believed to have been Khyra's mother and stepfather.

According to ITV News reporter Emma Murphy, one neighbour who had been putting out bread in her garden for birds believes it was instead being eaten by the hungry children. Local residents said three of the youngsters were seen in recent months looking "extremely thin".

A West Midlands Police statement said: "We can confirm that a seven-year-old girl was taken to hospital on Saturday 17 May where she was pronounced dead. The girl's name is Khyra Ishaq of Leyton Road, Handsworth. Her cause of death has not been confirmed at this stage.

"Police are conducting enquiries and a man aged 29 and a woman aged 33 have been charged with neglect and appeared before Birmingham Magistrates on May 19. They have been remanded to appear again on 28 May."

One neighbour in Layton Road said she had not seen the girl who died or her five siblings for more than three months between Christmas Eve and early May.

Lilian Costello said she had known the children's mother and up until Christmas Eve had spoken to her practically every day.

Ms Costello said: "I saw her on Christmas Eve and I wished her a Merry Christmas but she said she didn't celebrate it, she celebrated Eid.

"I didn't see her for another four months after that and when I saw her again at the beginning of May, she said she still lived up the road. I asked how the children were and she said they were all right."

The neighbour added: "She seemed very devoted to the children and I am very surprised. She used to let the children come out to play with the other children and she always stood at the front of the house watching them.

"There were three boys and three girls and they were a nice bunch of kids, very well-mannered. It's just so sad knowing that one of them has died."

Other neighbours claimed Ms Gordon had converted to Islam and that she had split up several years ago with her children's natural father.

Another neighbour, Mohammed Khalil, said he used to see some of the children in their uniforms on their way to Grove School in Handsworth. But he said he had not seen them for many months. He said there were around six children in the family.

"The children's father, he didn't live there. He was living there but then he moved out. I think there was another man living there. I saw him a couple of times."