John
10-05-2009, 07:44 PM
The girls, aged 14 and 15, leapt more than 100ft from Erskine Bridge near Glasgow - hours after spending a "happy" weekend with relatives.
They were reportedly holding hands as they plunged into the River Clyde at the notorious suicide spot on Sunday night.
Both girls were pupils at the Catholic-run Good Shepherd Centre in Bishopton, Renfrewshire.
Local MP Jim Sheridan called for an inquiry into how the two girls were able to leave the unit unsupervised.
Staff thought the girls, understood to be originally from Hull and Argyll, were in their rooms watching television. But they apparently sneaked out of the centre shortly before 9pm and made their way to the nearby bridge before jumping to their deaths side-by-side.
The unit cares for young girls referred to the centre by local authority educational and psychological services, social work departments and children's hearings. The girls came to the unit seven to eight weeks ago.
A centre spokesman said they had been on "apparently happy and productive" weekend outings with relatives and were seen by staff in their pyjamas going to their rooms to watch television on Sunday evening. But staff carrying out routine checks noticed they were missing and began a search of the campus and the immediate vicinity.
Shortly afterwards, police called to inform staff of the incident at the Erskine Bridge. A Strathclyde Police spokesman said: "Inquiries are continuing. However, there would appear to be no suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths."
The Good Shepherd Centre comprises three sections - an open unit, a secure unit and the St Francis Day Unit. The two girls who died were among nine live-in residents at the open unit, which also has 21 day girls who live in foster or care homes. Pupils there are not kept under lock and key but any outing requires authorisation. No authorisation was given for the girls to leave on Sunday evening.
They were reportedly holding hands as they plunged into the River Clyde at the notorious suicide spot on Sunday night.
Both girls were pupils at the Catholic-run Good Shepherd Centre in Bishopton, Renfrewshire.
Local MP Jim Sheridan called for an inquiry into how the two girls were able to leave the unit unsupervised.
Staff thought the girls, understood to be originally from Hull and Argyll, were in their rooms watching television. But they apparently sneaked out of the centre shortly before 9pm and made their way to the nearby bridge before jumping to their deaths side-by-side.
The unit cares for young girls referred to the centre by local authority educational and psychological services, social work departments and children's hearings. The girls came to the unit seven to eight weeks ago.
A centre spokesman said they had been on "apparently happy and productive" weekend outings with relatives and were seen by staff in their pyjamas going to their rooms to watch television on Sunday evening. But staff carrying out routine checks noticed they were missing and began a search of the campus and the immediate vicinity.
Shortly afterwards, police called to inform staff of the incident at the Erskine Bridge. A Strathclyde Police spokesman said: "Inquiries are continuing. However, there would appear to be no suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths."
The Good Shepherd Centre comprises three sections - an open unit, a secure unit and the St Francis Day Unit. The two girls who died were among nine live-in residents at the open unit, which also has 21 day girls who live in foster or care homes. Pupils there are not kept under lock and key but any outing requires authorisation. No authorisation was given for the girls to leave on Sunday evening.