Fall girl's mother still missing

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Police are continuing to search for a woman whose seven-year-old daughter was left seriously ill after falling from a fifth-floor balcony of a Majorca hotel.

Gianna Cooper, from Foxton, Cambridgeshire, plunged 30ft (10m) from a balcony of the Hotel Samoa, in Calas de Majorca, on to an office roof.

She was taken to hospital in Palma and is "serious but stable" after surgery.

Neighbours of the family have described what happened as "terrible" and said the Coopers were a "lovely family".

Ports and airports were alerted to watch for Gianna's mother, Sara, who has not been seen since Monday's fall, at about 0730.

By the time that the ambulance arrived, the mother had gone missing Humphrey CarterLocal journalist

Police in Majorca confirmed Mrs Cooper, her husband Martin - known by his middle name Ian - and three of their children had been staying at the hotel when the accident happened.

"We are looking for the mother but at this stage we do not want to speculate as to whether she was involved," said a spokeswoman.

"We are searching for her in the area of Calas de Majorca, which is an area containing mountains and beach."

Neighbours of the Coopers said they had lived in the cul-de-sac in Foxton for about four years.

One said: "They are a lovely family. Ian is a member of the local tennis club.

"All we know is that they had gone on holiday. It's terrible what has happened."

Humphrey Carter, a journalist with the Majorca Daily Bulletin, said the family had taken two rooms at the hotel, one of which was shared by the father of the family and two boys, and the other by seven-year-old Gianna and her mother.

Girl transferred

It is believed Gianna was found by a member of hotel staff on the office roof, Mr Carter added.

He told BBC News 24: "By the time that the ambulance arrived, the mother had gone missing."

Mr Carter added that he understood the girl was first taken to Manacor Hospital, and later transferred to Son Dureta Hospital.

The three-star Hotel Samoa, which has more than 300 rooms over eight floors, belongs to the Hotasa Group.

It overlooks Cala Domingos beach in the resort of Calas de Majorca, about 38 miles (61km) to the east of Palma.