Parents of seven-year-old girl who was left to starve to be charged with her murder

The mother and stepfather of a seven-year-old girl who allegedly starved to death at home have been charged with her murder.

Khyra Ishaq was found dead three months ago.

Her mother Angela Gordon, 33, and stepfather Junaid Abuhamza, 29, have already been charged with causing or allowing her death and are in custody awaiting trial.

Paramedics discovered Khyra with other children, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, lying on a mattress at the inner-city terrace home in Handsworth, Birmingham.

Gordon and Abuhamza also face separate charges of cruelty to other children and are due to appear at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday, when the inquest into Khyra's death is also due to resume.

In a short statement, a spokeswoman for the CPS said it had authorised West Midlands Police to charge Angela Gordon and her partner Junaid Abuhamza with the murder of Khyra Ishaq, who was found dead at her Birmingham home in May.

'Following a detailed and careful review of the file, a decision has been reached that there is sufficient evidence to charge the two defendants with the murder of Khyra,' the spokeswoman said.

The defendants, who lived with Khyra at the address, are scheduled to appear for a directions hearing before the Recorder of Birmingham, Judge Frank Chapman, at the city's Crown Court.

Both Gordon and Abuhamza face separate charges of cruelty to five other children, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

It has previously emerged that Khyra had been removed from school in December and is thought to have been last seen by social services at her home later that month.

She was last visited by the authorities four months before her death.

She was seen in January by police officers carrying out a welfare check as well as by a teacher from her school - but the visits were not followed up.

No comments are permitted on this story as legal proceedings are underway.