THE death of a toddler who suffocated while playing at a nursery school has been raised in Parliament.

Two-year-old Rhiya Malin died at Eton Manor Children’s Day Nursery in Roding Lane, Chigwell, in 2007 after becoming trapped while in a wooden playhouse.

The companies behind the nursery, Casterbridge Care and Education and Casterbridge Nurseries, admitted health and safety offences in May and is yet to be sentenced.

Two women who were employed at Eton Manor at the time of Rhiya’s death and have denied the charges are next due to appear in court next Friday (November 16).

Epping MP Eleanor Laing slammed the way the case has been dealt with during a House of Commons debate on Thursday.

“The nursery has accepted responsibility for the health and safety failings and it is still trading,” she said.

“The people who failed to find that little dying girl for 25 minutes that day are still there.

“After five years, I perceive that nothing has changed in that nursery.”

Following Rhiya’s death, the nursery was re-registered under a different name, which Mrs Laing said would mean its record was ‘wiped clean’.

“Ofsted should have inspected Eton Manor in 2008, but because the company had re-registered, that did not happen,” she added.

Elizabeth Truss, under-secretary of state at the Department for Education, said she would speak to Ofsted, review standards in the childcare industry and address the issues surrounding Rhiya’s death.

“I will consider the implications of the outcome of the health and safety prosecutions of Casterbridge Care and the staff on duty at the time of Rhiya’s death,” she added.

Rhiya’s mother, Shatl Malin, 33, of Hainault Road, Chigwell, said: “The fact that it’s out there and the MP is supporting us means very much.

“We’re not having to face this issue alone now.”