A CHILDREN’S nurse is today being quizzed on suspicion of murdering eight babies at a hospital — and attempting to kill another six.

Lucy Letby, 28, was arrested at her home on Tuesday by detectives probing the deaths of up to 17 infants at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Cheshire, reports The Sun.

Her three-bedroom house is just 2.5km away from the hospital and police have erected a blue tent outside while they conduct searches — and interrogate her at a police station in Chester.

A Cheshire Police spokesman confirmed they had made an arrest in the road where a blue tent is positioned.

Letby’s arrest stunned colleagues because she is regarded as a champion of the children she cares for — and helped a massive fundraising campaign to build a new $5 million baby unit at the hospital.

And she has repeatedly spoken about her devotion to her profession in a string of interviews since she graduated with an Honours in child nursing in 2011.

Letby — who has two cats and is registered as living alone at her home — has “liked” UK TV hospital show One Born Every Minute on Facebook.

She is a member of 14 groups relating to helping sick children, including: “Save special care baby units. They need us. One day u might need them.”

In a previous interview with a local newspaper, Letby described her love of the job.

She said: “I qualified as a Children’s Nurse from The University of Chester in 2011 and have been working on the unit since graduating.

“I also worked on the unit as a student nurse during my three years of training. My role involves caring for a wide range of babies requiring various levels of support.

“Some are here for a few days, others for many months and I enjoy seeing them progress and supporting their families.

“I am currently undergoing extra training in order to develop and enhance my knowledge and skills within the Intensive Care area and have recently completed a placement at Liverpool Women’s Hospital.”

When asked about the opening of a bigger neonatal unit, she said: “I hope the new unit will provide a greater degree of privacy and space.”

In an announcement in the local paper when she graduated in 2011 with an Honours in child nursing, her parents said: “We are so proud of you after all your hard work. Love Mum and Dad.”

Her dad John, 72, and mum Susan, 58, live in Hereford, where she grew up.

Police launched a probe into the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in May last year — and have now revealed they are investigating the deaths of 17 babies and 15 non-fatal collapses.

The hospital trust raised the alarm itself following the high number of fatalities between March 2015 and July 2016.

Doctors launched an internal inquiry after finding the premature babies had collapsed with heart and lung failure but were unusually impossible to resuscitate.

A report later found the babies developed strange blotches on their arms and legs after death.

Experts could not find a cause of death and police were called in to investigate in 2017.

Detective Inspector Paul Hughes of Cheshire Police said: “Since the start of our inquiries and, as the information gathering process has continued, the scope of the investigation has now widened.

“We are now currently investigating the deaths of 17 babies and 15 non-fatal collapses between the period of March 2015 and July 2016.

“Parents of all the babies are continuing to be kept fully updated and are being supported throughout the process by specially trained officers.”