MIDDLESBROUGH HOUSE FIRE THAT KI-LLED SEVEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND ANOTHER VICTIM COULD HAVE BEEN A GANGLAND REVENGE ATTACK AFTER A66 CRASH — POLICE ISSUE CHI-LLING WARNING AS INVESTIGATORS REFUSE TO RULE OUT LINKS TO WIDER ORGANISED CRI-ME
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Police are pictured at the scene of the fire in Grangetown, Middlesbrough(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
Two people – including a little girl – were killed in a house fire feared to be a gangland revenge attack following the A66 tragedy which left two police officers dead.
Cleveland Police “cannot rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time” following the horrific blaze in which the seven-year-old girl, died on Wednesday. She has tonight been described as “very cute girl” in moving tributes.
A 48-year-old woman remains in hospital in a critical condition, and a further three people suffered injuries described as non life threatening.
Two men, aged 23 and 31, have been arrested on suspicion of murder and they remain in police custody. The force confirmed that a child had died in the tragedy, though are yet to confirm their age and gender. It also emerged tonight a family member of one of the blaze victims knew one of the five young men killed in the A66 crash.
Redcar and Cleveland Local Policing Commander, Superintendent Emily Harrison, said: “We continue to work to establish the circumstances of exactly what has happened. But are keeping an open mind and cannot rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time.”
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Firefighters at the scene of the blaze where two people died(Image: Getty Images)
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Extensive damage is seen at the scene of the blaze(Image: Getty Images)
Tribute to tragic girl, 7, killed in blaze
The seven-year-old victim of the suspected arson attack in Middlesbrough was named locally as Valentina Foster, who died alongside her aunt Natalie McDonald, 34.
Natalie’s mother, Lisa Kirton, paid a heartbreaking tribute to her daughter, describing her as “a beautiful, bubbly person who everyone knew”.
She said: “She had a heart of gold who would give anyone anything. She left behind a daughter with no parents. We live opposite and were woken at 5am and there were people getting dragged out of fires when we were there at the scene.
“We were waiting for Natalie to come out and after about three hours police told us she had died.”
Valentina was the daughter of McDonald’s husband’s brother. Ms Kirton said she was “one of the family”, adding: “She had been staying at the house for the school summer holidays. She was a very cute girl and was Natalie’s niece”.
Tributes to the victims have been posted online. One said: “Life is so cruel my beautiful granddaughter Valentina. Your dad will be waiting for you.” Another said: “Aw my Valentina. Why you? You’re just a baby.”
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Tributes have been paid to Valentina Foster, pictured with Natalie McDonald
Neighbours heard screaming
Neighbours told how three children were creaming for help from an upstairs window as fire and smoke engulfed the property.
It is believed three adults and three children, two aged 15, were in the end-of-terrace house on Birchington Avenue, Grangetown in Middlesbrough when tragedy struck shortly after 5am.
Officers confirmed they launched a murder investigation just before midday. They later confirmed two arrests were made on suspicion of murder.
They are not ruling out a possible link between the fatal house fire near Middlesbrough and the A66 crash little more than a mile away that killed seven people.
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Police officers arrange flowers outside the property in Grangetown, Middlesbrough(Image: Getty Images)
A 20-year-old woman, who gave her name as Ellie, said: “I heard the children screaming, and I just ran down the road shouting for help.
“Neighbours came out to help. Everyone tried to get them out. I ended up holding the hand of one of the women who got out; she was an older woman. She was just crying and in pain; the ambulance took her away.
“Two girls jumped out of the bedroom window.” One eyewitness saw a girl, believed to be seven years old, carried out by a firefighter.
He said: “I woke up at about 5 a.m. because of the noise from the fire engines. I went out and saw the girl being carried out by a firefighter dressed in an orange uniform. Her body was limp, and it looked to me like she was deceased.
“I think that she was staying there overnight, and the woman who lived there was her aunt.
“They are an ordinary family. A girl who was in the house and her friend jumped out of the window to escape the fire.
“I think that one of the couple who lived there had their mum staying over, and we believe that she is in the RVI in a coma.”
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The house fire was on Birchington Avenue in Grangetown Middlesbrough(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
House fire happened near A66 tragedy
The property’s front first-floor bedroom window was blown out by the heat of the blaze, with the roof heavily damaged and blackened by the smoke. The neighbour added: “Locals are saying that two wheelie bins were left at the front door and set alight. That is the local rumour, but obviously I do not know if that is true or not. Maybe someone was trying to scare them, or it was a prank that went wrong.
“It is hard to tell around here.”
As well as the two dead, one woman was said to be in a critical condition, and another three remained in the hospital receiving treatment.
The Grangetown estate where the fire happened is very close to the scene of Sunday’s crash between a VW Passat, which was heading the wrong way on the A66 dual carriageway.
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Emergency services at the scene as a murder investigation(Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
Police probe potential link between two horrors
PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were killed in the collision. Cole Worthy, 17; Theo Rae, 17; Makai Saddington, 18; and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak were in the Passat and pronounced dead at the scene at South Bank. Cleveland Police are not ruling out a link between the two incidents, and said they “cannot rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time”. Officers were called to the fire just before 5.30am on Wednesday.
A woman remains in the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle in a critical condition, and a further three people suffered non-life-threatening injuries. They are currently receiving treatment in hospital.
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The back of the house on Birchington Avenue in Grangetown Middlesbrough(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
Redcar and Cleveland Local Policing Commander, Superintendent Emily Harrison, said: “This is a tragic incident which has sadly resulted in the deaths of a number of people this morning, and their families are being supported by specially trained officers. “We are working to establish the circumstances of exactly what has happened, but we are keeping an open mind and cannot rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time. “We will have a high visibility presence in the Grangetown area as this investigation progresses, and to provide reassurance to local communities, who will no doubt be impacted by this tragic incident. “We encourage anyone who has concerns, or who may have information regarding the incident in the early hours of this morning, to approach one of our officers or to contact Cleveland Police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously.” Cleveland Fire Brigade said they sent six fire engines and the incident command unit to the scene. Redcar & Cleveland borough councillor for Grangetown, Adam Brook said the fire was “absolutely devastating”.
He said: “Many residents have been in touch with me throughout the morning, and I know there is understandably a great deal of concern.
“However, I would urge people not to speculate or share unconfirmed information. At this stage I don’t want to speculate or comment on any information that has not been officially confirmed while the emergency services continue their work.”
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A floral tribute left near the scene(Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
Four young men in the Passat had previous convictions
Cleveland Police have arrested 17 people following the crash on Sunday. The Passat had been pursued by police following an earlier incident in which a house in the Acklam area of Middlesbrough, linked to Worthy, was rammed by a vehicle. The pursuit was aborted when the Passat went the wrong way down the A66.
Police have previously said the five young men in the Passat may have had links to “serious and organised criminal activity”. Four of the five had criminal convictions and were believed to be associated with another car which was seen ramming properties earlier that morning. Cleveland Police has previously said that on the morning of the collision, it received several reports of two vehicles being driven dangerously. The first vehicle, believed to be a Volvo XC60, was witnessed ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area. The second vehicle, a Volkswagen Passat, is believed to have been associated with the activities of the Volvo. Police said both vehicles were operating with cloned number plates but were picked up by automated number plate recognition technology. The Volvo XC60 involved in the initial reports has been traced and recovered in Middlesbrough. PC Blades and PC Clough were not involved in the original pursuit but had been called to the area to assist with the search for the Passat. Anna Turley, MP for Redcar and Cleveland, shared this message on social media: “A very serious incident is ongoing on Birchington Avenue in Grangetown this morning. “My thoughts are with everyone affected, and with our emergency services dealing with what is clearly a very difficult situation.” Cleveland Police declined to comment on the ages of the two people who died in the fire.
SOURCE: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/middlesbrough-fire-link-a66-crash-37596832
