A woman and her two children, aged seven and four, 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 rescue them but was beaten back by the flames.
Det Supt Ian Fletcher said the officer smashed his way out of the stone cottage through a bathroom window to try to reach the children's bedroom from outside, but could not get in due to the heat. He then attempted to re-enter via the bathroom and later through doors, but the fire had taken hold. Fire crews arrived at 3am to a well-established blaze that started on the ground floor and spread upward, causing the roof to collapse.
The mother's body, believed to be in her late 30s, has been recovered. One child's body has been found but remains in situ; search teams are still looking for the second child. The father was treated in hospital. Police do not treat the fire as suspicious, believing it to be a tragic accident.
Gloucestershire's temporary chief constable, Maggie Blyth, described the incident as an unimaginable tragedy. Community leaders said the family were well known and much loved in the area. The British Red Cross has offered support, and a local church has been opened for those affected.
