This is the beautiful little boy who died after his family was forced to live in a damp, mouldy flat. Pictured here by the Manchester Evening News for the first time, Awaab Ishak smiles as he plays outside - free, for a short while, from the conditions at home that blighted his health.
An inquest into his death begins this morning (Friday, November 4) at Rochdale Coroners' Court. Heartbreakingly, another image of the youngster released by his parents shows Awaab on his second birthday - just over a week before his death.
The toddler lived at the Ilminster block on the Freehold estate, in Rochdale, which is owned and managed by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH).
