THIS is little Chloe Fahey, the five-year-old girl found stabbed to death in her home in Stretford.

As social services bosses began an investigation, her distraught father spoke of the joy his daughter had brought her family in her short life.

David Fahey, 31, said: "Chloe was a wonderful, happy, carefree child. She will always be in our hearts."

Residents saw Mr Fahey sobbing uncontrollably outside his home following the discovery of Chloe's blood-soaked body in the bedroom of an end-terrace home in Bradshaw Lane at 4am yesterday (Friday).

Officers arrested her mother at the scene.

It was the second police visit to the home in 24 hours, the Manchester Evening News understands.

The previous morning, officers arrested Chloe's mother for an alleged breach of the peace and she was taken to the Manchester Royal Infirmary with minor injuries. Police then handed her case to the "appropriate authorities" - believed to be social services.

It is understood Chloe's two-year-old baby sister was staying with her family at another address when the incident happened.

After the discovery of Chloe's body, officers also arrested her father and another man outside the property but they were released without charge within hours.

Det Supt Simon Barraclough said: "Our investigation is centred around establishing exactly what happened in the house that night and finding out how Chloe died.

"However, further independent investigations will be carried out into all associated agencies to establish the chain of events at Bradshaw Lane in the previous 36 hours.

"We also called at the house in the early hours of Thursday morning and arrested a 23-year-old woman to prevent a breach of the peace. We then took her to the Manchester Royal Infirmary for treatment to a minor injury to her hand.

"We cannot release any further details of the people involved in this incident at this time."