A MOTHER who used to live in Suffolk has been charged with the murder of her three children.

Theresa Riggi was arrested and charged over the deaths of her eight-year-old twins Augustino and Gianluca Riggi and their five-year-old sister Cecilia last night.

Their bodies were found in their home in Edinburgh following reports of an explosion on Wednesday.

Mrs Riggi, 46, was found injured in the street after apparently falling from the second floor of the building.

It has emerged that the three children were born in Norwich and their parents lived for several years in Corton, just north of Lowestoft.

The children’s father Pasquale Riggi has worked for Shell since 1987 and the family came to the UK ten years later.

He was based at Shell in Lowestoft from 1997 to 2002.

During this time the family are believed to have lived in Corton, where they were listed as being residents in 1998, but the children are believed not to have attended any of the local schools, as they were taught at home.

Many Shell employees formerly based in Lowestoft once lived in houses in The Woodlands and surrounding streets in Corton - although it is unknown whether the Riggis lived there, and neighbours could not remember the family yesterday.

Mr Riggi, who was divorcing his wife, released a statement through Lothian and Borders Police, saying: “Our family is struggling to come to terms with the immense and tragic loss of three beautiful children.

A warrant for Mrs Riggi’s arrest was issued by Edinburgh Sheriff Court following the results of post-mortem examinations on the bodies of her three children yesterday.

A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: “A 46-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the petition warrant which was granted earlier today.

“Due to the medical condition of the accused, it is not at this time known when she will appear in court.”

Shell UK Ltd also issued a statement on the death of the children.

It said: “This is obviously a human tragedy of proportions that most of us find hard to comprehend and our thoughts are with Pasquale and his family. Shell will continue to provide Pasquale with support. We would urge that he is left alone to deal with his great personal loss.”

The family came from California and Colorado and Mr Riggi has been in Aberdeen for a number of years.

Sources in America revealed that Mrs Riggi grew up in a house in Baltimore, USA where her mother Patricia Butimore and brother Edward Butimore still live.

She married Pasquale Riggi at a church in Baltimore on September 30, 1989, and the marriage certificate listed her as a violinist.

Mr Riggi’s parents are Mario Riggi and Silvia Saurini, who were both born in Italy.