A seven-year-old girl and her aunt died in a house fire less than a mile from the site of a crash on the A66 which killed seven people, according to reports. Valentina Foster, aged seven, and Natalie McDonald, 34, died following the blaze at an end-of-terrace property in Birchington Avenue, Grangetown, near Middlesbrough.
Arrests and Injuries
Cleveland Police said two men, aged 23 and 31, have been arrested on suspicion of murder and they remain in police custody following the fire. In a statement, the force said officers were called to the property at 5.23am on Wednesday and confirmed two people had died, “including one child”. It said they have yet to be formally identified.
The force said that a 48-year-old woman remains in a critical condition in the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle. Three other people suffered injuries which are believed to be non life-threatening.
Investigation and Community Response
Superintendent Emily Harrison said: “As we continue to investigate this morning’s tragic incident, we continue to support the families of those who have sadly died as a result. Our thoughts remain with those families and with everyone involved. Two men, aged 23 and 31, remain in police custody at this time and they are being questioned. We continue to work 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 and encourage anyone who has concerns, or who may have information, to approach our officers or alternatively call us on 101.”
Lisa Kirton, Ms McDonald’s mother, told The Times that her daughter “was a beautiful, bubbly person who everyone knew” and that Ms McDonald’s niece was “a very cute girl”. A 20-year-old neighbour described running up and down the street, shouting to raise the alarm, and how local residents tried to rescue the occupants. She believed that a girl was one of the casualties. Ellie, who declined to give her surname, said: “The entire house was scorching. I couldn’t get near the front of the house, it was that hot.” She described holding the hand of a crying woman who had jumped from an upstairs window, staying with her until paramedics arrived.
Link to A66 Crash
The force would not rule out a link between the blaze and the crash which killed two police officers and five young men. The blaze happened close to the A66 and less than a mile from the scene of a crash on Saturday between a VW Passat, which was evading police and heading in the wrong direction on the dual-carriageway, and a marked police armed response vehicle. Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38, were killed in the collision. The five people in the Passat – Cole Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak – were pronounced dead at the scene at South Bank.
Redcar Labour MP Anna Turley said in a statement: “My deepest condolences are with the families, friends and loved ones of those who have died, and my thoughts are also with those injured and receiving treatment. Our community has faced a profound amount of heartbreak over the past few weeks. Please keep everyone affected in your thoughts, give the emergency services the space they need, and avoid speculation as Cleveland Police & emergency services continue their investigation.” Redcar and Cleveland borough councillor for Grangetown Adam Brook said the fire was “absolutely devastating”, but urged people not to speculate or “share unconfirmed information”.
Cleveland Police have arrested 17 people following the crash, charging two of them and bailing the others, as part of investigations into alleged organised crime. 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” and four of them have previous convictions. 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. Inquests for those who died in the crash were due to open in Middlesbrough on Thursday.
