A five-year-old boy who fell to his death from a hotel window in Sheffield was an Afghan refugee who had been in the country for a matter of days after fleeing the Taliban with his family, it has emerged.

       The boy was pronounced dead on Wednesday afternoon after falling from the Sheffield Metropolitan Hotel. He had been staying at the hotel with his mother and father, two brothers and two sisters after being placed there by the local authority.

       It is thought his family were given refuge in the UK because his father had been working with British authorities in Afghanistan before the withdrawal of allied troops.

       A member of the local Afghan community called Zabi said they were trying to support the family along with specially trained officers from South Yorkshire Police.

       A fellow refugee who was also staying at the hotel claimed the boy had arrived in Sheffield four days ago, although it is not clear how long he had been in the UK. He said: "They came here to save their lives and now this has happened. It is so sad."

       The boy is thought to have fallen from a window at the back of the hotel onto the car park below.

       One of the guests said: "I heard a big loud noise and then a couple of seconds later I heard the mother screaming: 'My boy.'"

       Sheffield City Council confirmed it has been supporting the Home Office's relocation scheme for those who supported UK troops in Afghanistan and find their lives at risk after the Taliban's takeover of the country.

       A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said: "The boy's family are being supported by specially trained officers. No formal identification has taken place yet. Officers are now appealing for anyone with information to come forward."