A woman is suspected of causing the death of her three-week-old grandson by falling asleep on top of him on a sofa while drunk.

Police believe that the 55-year-old - who is the newborn baby’s gran - had been watching television at the time and had been drinking alcohol.

The baby boy can be named today as George Charnock. Police investigations are continuing. His gran, who has not been named, was looking after him for his mother, Emily Charnock, at the time.

Police and paramedics were called to a house on Lychgate Court, in Oldham’s Holts estate, in the early hours of Friday. George was rushed to hospital but medics were unable to revive him. His gran was arrested later at hospital on suspicion of causing the baby’s death by overlaying.

Overlaying is the offence of suffocating a child aged under three while in bed with them when intoxicated. The M.E.N. understands however that the tragedy happened on a living room sofa.

The woman has now been released on police bail while investigations continue. She is due to answer her bail on October 1. An inquest into George’s death is expected to be opened and adjourned at a later date.