A woman has been charged with the murder of two boys found dead in a house in Dagenham.
Kara Alexander, 44, of Cornwallis Road, Dagenham, was arrested on Friday and charged with two counts of murder on Monday.
She is due to appear before Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The bodies of the boys, aged two and five, were discovered by emergency services at a property on Cornwallis Road after being called at 2pm on Friday.
Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Their family have been informed and continue to be supported by specialist officers, the Metropolitan Police said. Post-mortem examinations and formal identifications will be arranged in due course, the force added.
A man was arrested near to the scene in connection with the incident, but was later released without charge.
On Saturday, a neighbour described hearing “a loud scream or shout” between 1.30pm and 2pm the previous day, shortly before the emergency services were called.
“It sounded more like a scream, probably a man [who screamed],” said father-of-two Sultan Wadud, aged 40, who lives on Cornwallis Road.
“I didn’t have time to look out the window to see what was going on but [the scream] was more of a reaction rather than somebody shouting. I only moved into the area about a year ago. The area is very quiet.
“It’s scary and sad at the same time knowing what’s happened, especially being a parent myself with two small kids. It has been a shock to the community.”
Another neighbour, 43-year-old Sebastian Asiedu, said: “Yesterday I saw the police officers and ambulance all over but I didn’t know what was going on until I heard from the news that two children [had died].
“It’s so sad I haven’t even been able to sleep. I feel so bad, I feel so sad, I feel so worried, I feel so disturbed because when we moved down here it was a quiet place to live.”
Michael Rutherford, 46, also of Cornwallis Road, added: “It’s horrific. It’s shocking. It’s a quiet street.”
A Met Police spokesperson said: “Emergency services were called at around 2pm on Friday, 16 December, after the bodies of two young children were found at a residential address in Cornwallis Road, Dagenham.
“Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended the location.
“They found the bodies of a two-year-old boy and a five-year-old boy, who were both pronounced dead at the scene.
“Their family have been informed and continue to be supported by specialist officers.
“Post-mortem examinations and formal identifications will be arranged in due course.”
