Nanny's murder charge confirmed

Louise Woodward, the British nanny being held in custody in Massachusetts in connection with the death of a baby, is to be charged with murder, police said last night.

The results of a post-mortem examination indicated that nine-month-old Matthew Eappen died of blunt force trauma to the head, and police now believe that, in addition to being shaken, the baby was either slammed into a wall or floor or struck on the head with an object.

At the time of her arrest, 18-year-old Ms Woodward, from Chester, told police she had handled the baby roughly out of frustration because he was fussy. She is expected to appear in court again tomorrow.