A teenage boy went on trial in Britain yesterday on suspicion of beating a two-year-old toddler to death in Salford last July.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies murdering Demi Mahon.

The little girl was found with serious head injuries at an address in Liverpool Road. She was taken to hospital but died two days later.

Opening for the prosecution at Manchester Crown Court, Howard Bentham said the defendant inflicted 68 injuries and a bite mark on the child.

"We say every one of those injuries was caused by this young man. They were all over her body but many of them were to her head and face."

He said the pathologist had drawn the conclusion that the child had probably been punched repeatedly in the face.

Her mother, Ann Marie McDonald, sobbed as she gave evidence before jurors. She told them that she had left her daughter with the defendant at a house in Eccles, Salford, for around 90 minutes while she popped out to pick up her child benefit and buy a birthday card. She said that when she returned the boy was standing outside the house with another man.

Ms McDonald said the defendant told her: "I picked her up - I might have hurt her - and she fell in the park."