Mother and her two youngsters aged seven and 4 are killed in Boxing Day home hearth – as police officer father is handled in hospital after escaping blaze

Two children and their mother have been killed in a Boxing Day house fire – as their police officer father remains in hospital after escaping the blaze.

Emergency services were called to the ‘well-established’ fire at the terraced house on Brimscombe Hill, near Stroud, at about 3am. 

Gloucestershire Constabulary said the father, who survived the tragedy, was a serving officer with the force.

He attempted to rescue his wife and two children – a girl aged seven and a four-year-old boy – but was beaten back by the severity of the flames.

In an update today, Detective Superintendent Ian Fletcher said the mother and father had been woken by the fire and tried to reach their children in the rear bedroom.

‘They have been unable to get to the back bedroom due to the voracity of the fire,’ he said.

‘The father has smashed his way out of the house through a bathroom window in order to try to access the children’s bedroom via the outside.

‘He has been unable to enter the property via that bedroom window.’

DS Fletcher said the father tried to get back into the property to rescue his wife and children but was unable to do so.  

Emergency services were called to the ‘well-established’ fire at a property on Brimscombe Hill, near Stroud, Gloucestershire, at about 3am on December 26

The burnt roof timbers of the house near Stroud 

The officer continued: ‘He has then tried to re-enter the property through the bathroom window, by which stage the fire has taken hold in the bathroom and he’s unable to get back into the upstairs bedrooms.

‘He has subsequently gone downstairs and tried to force entry via the front and the back door but has been unable to get back inside to the property.

‘It is at this point our colleagues from emergency services have attended and have started managing and dealing with that fire.’

Mr Fletcher said the fire was believed to have started on the ground floor and investigations were ongoing to establish the cause, but it was not being treated as suspicious.

The extent of the fire has caused the roof of the mid-terrace Cotswold stone cottage to fall in and the ceilings and stairs have collapsed.

A body of a woman in her 40s has been recovered from the house, while the body of a child has been located at the scene.

DS Fletcher said work was underway to recover the body of the second child but the unstable nature of the property meant this would take time. 

Chloe Turner, who represents Minchinhampton on Stroud District Council for the Green Party, said: ‘If anyone in the community has information that may assist in the investigation, or needs any support as a result of the incident, please call 101 or let the on-site police know, and they will direct you to the appropriate agency.

‘The emergency services and councils are working closely together, but if you have any problems, please let me know.

‘My thoughts are very much with everyone impacted by this tragic incident.’