Pictured: A two-year-old girl died after being found floating in a pond a few meters from her home

• Annabelle described Mackie as a “beautiful, wonderful little girl.”
• A woman in her 40s has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody

The two-year-old girl, who was allegedly murdered and found in a village pond, was today described as a “beautiful, wonderful little girl”.

Neighbors of the girl – who is called locally Annabelle McKee – praised the blonde-haired child, who they said enjoyed a walk in the Kumaon area.

Annabelle lived with her parents in a £600,000 house on a secluded road in the village of Kingsley in Hampshire. They were found in a pond a few meters from their residence.

Locals, who were “shocked to the core” by her death, say the “sweet” little girl was “very quiet and shy” and “didn’t really talk”. One added that she “gave us little smiles” sometimes.

Cards and flowers, including one reading “Sleep tight little one”, were placed at the pond by the water’s edge after the tragedy devastated the village.

Locals today said they heard the adult shouting “help me, help me” at the pond and then saw an injured person being placed in an ambulance covered in blankets.

One woman also said, “There were about a dozen police cars in the pond parking lot afterward, and it was packed.”

“I saw them bring a cart with someone covered in blankets but I couldn’t find out who he was or how old he was.”

Another father added his tribute to the young man who died. He said: “She was absolutely beautiful, she was a beautiful little girl.”

He added that she enjoyed looking at their family’s Halloween decorations.

“We met her, and we always said hello, and she always said hello,” he recalls. “For Halloween, we get a lot of decorations around the house for our little girl, and Annabelle would come over and look at the decorations.”

Charmaine Dennard, one of the promoters, visited the pond with friends to lay flowers. They threw sunflowers into the pond as a tribute.

Miss Dennard, a 28-year-old mother of two from nearby Bourdon, said: “It’s absolutely heartbreaking, I had to come and pay my respects.”

“That poor little girl. You can’t imagine the pain her family is going through.

“The unknown is very scary, and it’s scary to think about what happened.”

A woman in her 40s, who was arrested on suspicion of murder, remains in police custody as of this morning.

Officers were called to the child’s family home in Forge Street, Kingsley, near Bordon, Hampshire, at 5.02pm on Sunday, after reports the girl had gone missing.

She was found unconscious in Kingsley Pond a short time later and was taken to hospital where she died on Monday.

The police detained the suspect for questioning, and specialized officers are supporting the girl’s family.

Eyewitnesses reported that they returned to their homes to find “the entire lake” cordoned off and dozens of police officers and “what looked like armed police” sweeping the area.

One resident told The Telegraph: “What was strange was the way they were protecting the scene, as if there was something suspicious.”

Another claimed that investigators were going from “house to house” asking if they “saw or heard anything.”

The witness added: “There are houses that go back to the pond and the common, but the terrain is dense and it will be difficult for a young child to reach this point.”

Speaking today, he, a married father of one who lives on the same road as the McKee family, said he was first alerted to the accident when patrol cars stopped.

“Within 20 minutes of the first car pulling up, this place was packed with trucks and police,” he recalls. ‘This place was crowded.

“The whole place was cordoned off and then CID asked us if we had any footage on our camera, which we do… there is nothing, we cannot see the little boy, the family, nothing.” We were very worried at the same time, we have a six-year-old girl.

“A two-year-old lost her life, it’s absolutely terrible. We met her, and we always said ‘hello’ and she said ‘hello.'” At Halloween, Annabelle used to come and look at the decorations.

This has shocked us to the core. When Annabelle showed up, our daughter would come out and talk to her.

She was amazing, a beautiful little girl.

The cordon on the pond was removed today and police officers were seen patrolling the waters.

The area is popular for fishing and dog walking, with many parents and children also walking the area.

The Rev. Matt Boyes, vicar of All Saints Church, issued his condolences on behalf of the parish community. “It is a nightmare for every parent that this is happening, and the impact on the wider community will be huge as well,” he said.

A Hampshire Police spokesman said on Tuesday night: “Officers are appealing for information following the death of a child who was found unconscious in Kingsley Pond.”

Police were called at 5.02pm on Sunday, September 10, to reports of a two-year-old girl who had disappeared from her home.

She was found a short time later at Kingsley Pond.

He added: “She was taken to hospital in serious condition, but unfortunately she died on Monday afternoon.” Her family is supported by officers.