Nyla Bradshaw: Woman arrested for gross negligence manslaughter and child neglect
Police have arrested a woman on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter and child neglect after the death of severely autistic Nyla May Bradshaw in a pond on a Doncaster golf course.
South Yorkshire Police have confirmed that a woman in her 30s has been arrested and bailed pending further enquiries following the tragedy on March 30.
A force spokesperson said: “Ongoing enquiries in relation to the death of Nyla May Bradshaw in Doncaster last month have led detectives to make an arrest.
“A woman, in her 30s, has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter and child neglect. She has since been bailed pending further enquiries.”
Nyla May was reported missing at 9.50am on Monday 30 March, from the Skellow area of the city.
Officers and additional resources, including police drones and the police aircraft, were deployed and, following an extensive search, she was located in a pond on Owston Hall golf course.
Despite the best efforts of emergency services colleagues, Nyla May was sadly pronounced deceased.
The spokesperson said: “Nyla May’s family members are being supported by our officers and our thoughts remain with them as our enquiries continue.”
DCI Gary Magnay said: “The heartbreaking loss of Nyla May has had a huge emotional impact - not just on her family, friends and loved ones, but on the wider community.
"Nyla May’s family continues to be in the forefront of our thoughts as our work progresses, and we will continue to support them throughout this awful time.
“Since this tragedy, our officers have been working hard to establish the full circumstances surrounding Nyla’s death.
"While initial enquiries indicated the circumstances were not suspicious, these ongoing enquiries have ultimately led us to make this arrest and further our investigation in relation to the events leading up to the incident.
“The proceedings in this case are now active, which means nothing must be published by anyone, including members of the public, which could threaten the integrity of any future court proceedings.
"For this reason, I’d urge the public to not speculate about the incident, including on social media, and respect the privacy of all those affected.”
If you wish to report information to police in connection with the investigation, please call the non-emergency 101 number, quoting incident number 198 of 30 March 2026.
You can also report information anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers. You can call them on the freephone number 0800 555 111 or by visiting their website.
No one will know you have contacted them and your details will remain confidential.
The schoolgirl, who was non verbal, was found unresponsive and face down in water before being rushed to Doncaster Royal Infirmary where she was sadly pronounced dead shortly afterwards, an inquest was told last week.
Nyla's mother Hayley Beardsley had left the youngster in the care of a new childminder who was said to be a specialist in caring for SEND children, the court heard.
But just two hours later she received a message informing her her daughter had disappeared.
The childminder, who is said to have been warned that Nyla was a flight risk, took her on a trip to a park where she passed through a hole and ended up on the course, Doncaster Coroner’s Court was told.
Senior coroner Nicola Mundy adjourned the inquest at Doncaster Coroner's Court until December 8.