THE mother of a three-year-old girl who suffered a drugs overdose at her home has been charged with her murder.

Natalia Mujahid, of Notre Dame Gardens, Larkhill, Blackburn, died just before midnight on Tuesday in the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Pendlebury.

She and her one-year-old brother Darnish were taken there by ambulance after becoming ill.

Police said today the children's mother, named as Taj Ali, 24, had been charged with the murder of Natalia and the attempted murder of Darnish.

Their father, Asad Mujahid, 27, has been charged with manslaughter of Natalia and neglect of Darnish.

Both will appear before Blackburn Magistrates tomorrow.

Tests have been carried out in a bid to establish what the children had swallowed. It is believed to have been the heroin substitute methadone. An ambulance was called to the family home at 3am on Tuesday after Darnish developed breathing problems.

Paramedic Pete Mitchell said Darnish had turned blue and he thought the child was dead at first. An hour later a second ambulance was called to the house, where paramedic Geoffrey Brogden found the children's father and another man giving Natalia mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Her difficulty in breathing had led to a cardiac arrest.

Both children were initially taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary but later transferred to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. Darnish is now said to be recovering.

A neighbour said the children's mother had worked at packaging firm Strategy, near Padiham.

She had previously lived in Whitewell Place, off Whalley Range, and had met Asad during a visit to Pakistan about four years ago.

The couple moved into the house in Notre Dame Gardens when they were expecting Natalia.

Asad Mujahid is believed to have worked as an embroiderer for a textile firm.