A woman and her two children, aged seven and four, have died in a house fire in the early hours of Boxing Day in Brimscombe Hill, Stroud. The father, a serving police officer with Gloucestershire Constabulary, desperately tried to save them but was beaten back by the flames.
Detective Superintendent Ian Fletcher said the father smashed his way out of the stone cottage through a bathroom window and attempted to enter the children's bedroom from outside. He was unable to get in and then tried to re-enter through the bathroom, but the fire had taken hold. He later attempted to force entry through the front and back doors but was unsuccessful.
The mother's body has been recovered, and one child's body has been found but remains in situ. Search and recovery experts are still looking for the second child. The fire is not being treated as suspicious and is believed to have been a tragic accident.
Gloucestershire's deputy chief fire officer, Nathaniel Hooton, said an urban search and rescue team from Avon Fire and Rescue Service is assisting. The community is said to be in shock, with local leader Chloe Turner describing the family as 'known and loved'. The British Red Cross has offered support, and a local church has been opened for those affected.
