A YOUNG girl has died after suffering a cardiac arrest in Basildon. 

Two ambulances and an air ambulance rushed to Wickford Avenue, in Basildon, at roughly 4pm on Friday to reports of a child having a medical emergency. 

It has now been confirmed that a child suffered a cardiac arrest near Basildon’s Upper Academy School. 

Despite the best efforts of the paramedics, the child, a young girl, died.

The child is not believed to have been a pupil at the school.

Andrew Baggott, leader of Basildon Council, was brought to tears when he heard the devastating news.

He said: “It is just shockingly tragic. You can only have your heart go out to the parents, all the family and friends of the young girl. My heartfelt thoughts are with them all.

“We don’t know all the circumstances of course, but it is such a young age, and so tragic.

“It is shocking and so upsetting for anyone that witnessed it too. My thoughts go to them.

“It is just really, really sad, shocking, upsetting, and tragic.

“Any death is very sad, but when it is a child, it is that extra heartbreak.”

A number of concerned parents had taken to social media over the weekend, after hearing reports from their children that a child had sadly passed away near the school.

However, the incident did not occur on the school grounds.

A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 4.01pm on June 16 with reports of a child in cardiac arrest.

“We sent Essex and Herts Air Ambulance, two ambulances and an ambulance officer vehicle.

“We took the person to Basildon and Thurrock Hospital by land ambulance.”

Emergency services later confirmed, despite their best efforts, the child sadly passed away.

Essex Police has confirmed there is no police investigation into the death.