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Boys' fire death house searched | Boys' fire death house searched |
(40 minutes later) | |
Fire and police investigators are combing a house in East Sussex where two young brothers died in a blaze. | Fire and police investigators are combing a house in East Sussex where two young brothers died in a blaze. |
The boys, five and seven, were found by firefighters at the terraced home in Milfoil Drive, Eastbourne, on Saturday. | The boys, five and seven, were found by firefighters at the terraced home in Milfoil Drive, Eastbourne, on Saturday. |
Their mother, named by neighbours as Denise Goldsmith, 29, wept as she went to the scene to lay flowers on Sunday. | |
She did not comment on the deaths of the boys, named locally as Taylor and Lewis, and had to be restrained by her family from entering the house. | |
Ms Goldsmith was treated in hospital for minor burns after the fire and released later the same day. | |
'Mother screaming' | |
Neighbour Jason Maynard said he was one of a number of people who tried to rescue the boys from the fire on Saturday afternoon. | |
"I heard screaming and the sound of breaking glass," said Mr Maynard, 35. | |
"Me and my brother, Gary, ran over and could see the place was on fire. | |
"The mother was already outside and was screaming for someone to go in and get her kids. | |
Floral tributes have been left at the house | |
"We could see the kitchen going up but we couldn't get in, there were flames everywhere. | |
"We couldn't hear the boys - she thought they were under the stairs." | |
Neighbour Julie James said her children were fellow pupils of the brothers at nearby Shinewater Primary School. | |
"It's a tragic story really, everyone round here is very upset," she said. | |
Head teacher John Greenwood said in a statement that everyone at the school was shocked. | Head teacher John Greenwood said in a statement that everyone at the school was shocked. |
"Both boys will be very sadly missed and the family will need space to grieve and try to come to terms with what has happened," he said. | "Both boys will be very sadly missed and the family will need space to grieve and try to come to terms with what has happened," he said. |
'Tragic accident' | |
"This will obviously have a profound effect on the school and the local community and we will be working with the local authority in supporting the pupils, staff and parents in any way we can." | "This will obviously have a profound effect on the school and the local community and we will be working with the local authority in supporting the pupils, staff and parents in any way we can." |
Speaking outside the house on Sunday, Ch Insp Dick Coates said: "We have a team of detectives working on it, but at the present time there is nothing overly suspicious about the cause of the fire. | |
"Initial indications do not suggest anything other than this being a tragic accident." | "Initial indications do not suggest anything other than this being a tragic accident." |
He said officers would be at the scene for several days, and that police would have a clearer idea how the fire had started by Monday or Tuesday. | He said officers would be at the scene for several days, and that police would have a clearer idea how the fire had started by Monday or Tuesday. |
He said the thoughts and prayers of the emergency services were with the family. | |
Post-mortem examinations on the boys have yet to be carried out. | Post-mortem examinations on the boys have yet to be carried out. |
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Chief Inspector Dick Coates speaks about the investigation | Chief Inspector Dick Coates speaks about the investigation |