A young girl and her aunt died in a house fire near Middlesbrough, less than a mile from the site of a crash on the A66 which killed seven people, according to a new report.
Valentina Foster, aged seven, and Natalie McDonald, 34, died after the blaze at an end-of-terrace property in Birchington Avenue, Grangetown, near Middlesbrough.
Ms McDonald’s mother, Lisa Kirton, 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”.
She told the BBC Valentina, also known as Tina, had been spending the summer holidays with the family.
“She was a cute little kid,” Ms Kirton said. “I can’t believe it, seven years old – it’s just a disgrace.”
Cleveland Police said two men, aged 23 and 31, have been arrested on suspicion of murder and they remain in police custody.
Officers were called to the property at 5:23am on Wednesday and said a 48-year-old woman was 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.
Redcar and Cleveland Local Policing Commander, 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.”
The force have not ruled out a link between the fire and the crash which killed two police officers and five young men.
Ms Harrison added: “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.”
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.
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.
Firefighters were seen damping down the smoking roof of the home which has been wrecked by the fire.
A ladder remained propped against a rear upstairs window of the family home.
A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “My daughter heard shouting and screaming this morning. The dogs were barking.”
The neighbour said a family lived at the house, adding: “I don’t know the people who live there, we just say hello when we walk past.”
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.”
The fire 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.
On Wednesday, an online appeal to help the officers’ families passed the £1 million mark.
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.
Cleveland Police are not ruling out a link between the two incidents, and said they “cannot rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time”.
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.
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