Freckleton fire deaths: Dyson Allen jailed for life

BBC.co.uk

September 27, 2013

A man has been jailed for life for starting a fire while "drunk and stoned" which killed four siblings in Lancashire.

Four-year-old twins Holly and Ella Smith and brothers Jordan, two, and Reece, 19, died on 7 January 2012.

Dyson Allen, 19, of no fixed abode, was convicted of manslaughter at Preston Crown Court in July.

He was ordered to serve a minimum of nine years three months for starting the Lytham Road fire.

Allen started the fire in a wardrobe in the children's bedroom of the dormer bungalow while a birthday party was being held downstairs for the children's mother, Michelle Smith.

Forensic experts told the jury the fire could not have been an accident and that a naked flame had been held against clothes in the wardrobe for a few seconds.

All four siblings died from the effects of smoke inhalation, with Reece succumbing to the smoke after going back into the fire to try and save his brother and sisters.

'Lives blighted'

Sentencing Allen, Mr Justice Males said the 19-year-old had no motive to harm the children or anyone in the Smith family.

He said Allen started the blaze because he was "out of [his] head on a lethal combination of alcohol and cannabis" and had a "fascination with fire", particularly when he was affected by drink or drugs.

He added that Allen had been "drunk and stoned" and that had he "not been drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis, four young people would still be alive and several other lives would not have been blighted".

"While you did not intend to cause serious harm to the children, you knew what you were doing in starting the fire and you had ample experience of the danger of fire," he said.

"You only went downstairs to raise the alarm when the intense heat melted the aluminium light fitting causing the electricity to fail."

Det Ch Supt Dermott Horrigan said it was "one of the most tragic and significant cases that Lancashire has seen for a number of years, which has left the family and the whole community devastated".

'No remorse'

"I hope this sentence offers some closure for the family at the end of what has been a very long and traumatic process for them.

"This was a needless loss of life and is a permanent reminder of the tragic consequences of fooling around with fire," he said.

"We will never know why Dyson did what he did that night, but his actions have stolen the lives of four of Michelle's children."

Mrs Smith said in a statement after sentencing that Allen had "shown no remorse or regret for his actions, still refusing to tell us, what exactly happened".

"Why or what he did, we still do not know."

She said the family had "to live with the loss of the children each and every day".

"Every birthday that I have will be the anniversary of my children's deaths."

She added that the family wished to thank the "wonderful support" from the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and "the heroic attempts of the fire service, paramedics and medical staff" to save the siblings.

Freckleton house fire: Teenager Dyson Allen guilty of killing four siblings by setting light to bedroom wardrobe

Mother Michelle Smith says ordeal has been "hell" but paid tribute to eldest son Reece, 19, who died trying to save his brother and sisters

Mirror.co.uk

July 25, 2013

A teenager obsessed with fire faces a “substantial” time in prison after starting a bedroom blaze that killed four brothers and sisters.

Four-year-old twins Holly and Ella Smith and their two-year-old brother Jordan were asleep as the blaze took hold in Freckleton, while elder brother Reece, 19, was overcome by fumes as he went upstairs to try to rescue them.

All four died from the effects of smoke inhalation following the blaze on January 7 last year.

Dyson Allen, 19, was convicted of four counts of manslaughter by a jury at Preston Crown Court.

He was cleared of their murders.

Members of the victims' family shouted "yes" in tears as the jury foreman returned each guilty verdict on the manslaughter counts.

The defendant held his hands over his eyes in shock and then wept as he leaned forward.

Sentencing was adjourned until September 27 for the preparation of psychiatric reports.

Mr Justice Males told the court: "There must be no doubt that it is inevitable there will be a substantial prison sentence."

Allen was the only other person who was upstairs at the dormer bungalow when the fire broke out, said the Crown.

A birthday party was being held for the children's mother, Michelle Smith, at the address on the night of the fire.

The fatal fire began inside a wardrobe in the bedroom shared by the three young children and their mother.

Three family friends were also in the house with the defendant who was a friend of another of Ms Smith's sons.

Allen was a regular visitor and stayed overnight the evening before the blaze, the jury was told. He spent most of the night on January 7 in the second upstairs bedroom, according to those who were in the house, said prosecutor Neil Flewitt QC.

Ms Smith, 37, said she said remembered the lights going off and then the defendant jumped down the stairs and shouted "Fire" before he ran through the kitchen and out of the back door.

Ms Smith told police that smoke alarms had been fitted at the top and bottom of the stairs but Reece had taken them down in the days before the fire because one or both of them kept making beeping noises.

The court heard the recollection of most of the witnesses who attended the party was "affected to some extent by drink and in some cases by drugs in the form of cannabis".

It could be established though that the first 999 call to report a fire was made at 11.20pm by a neighbour.

And that some time after 10.45pm one of the family friends, who was sober, went up to the bedroom where Allen was.

He said the defendant appeared "drunk and stoned" after Allen had earlier told him was going to make a mix for a cannabis bong. When he returned downstairs there was a loud bang shortly after and all the lights in the house went off.

In a witness statement given to police in the early hours of January 8, Allen confirmed he was a friend of Reece and one of the victim's younger brothers.

He said he began celebrating Ms Smith's birthday at lunchtime by drinking from a bottle of vodka. Allen said he was upstairs when the lights suddenly went out and he thought it was a power cut.

He saw the children's bedroom door was shut but he could see an "orange glow" in a gap at the bottom.

"'I opened the door to check and all of a sudden thick black smoke just hit me in the face," he said. "It knocked me backwards.

"I started shouting 'fire, fire' straight away."

He said he told Reece there was a fire and to "get those kids out". He ran downstairs to rouse a person who had fallen asleep on the sofa and then ran outside.

The court heard that Reece was heard kicking at the door to the children's bedroom as others escaped from the property.

Mr Flewitt told the jury that several "'extremely detailed investigations" had taken place into the cause of the fire and the unanimous view of the experts was that it was started deliberately. One expert concluded the fire started in the hanging clothes in the wardrobe,and the most likely source of ignition was a naked flame.

The fire was detected because of an electrical fault that caused the house electrics to trip out, he continued. The electrical fault occurred when the fire spread from the wardrobe to a lighting unit fitted to the ceiling of the room, the jury was told.

By that time the fire would have already reached its maximum, said Mr Flewitt. Forensic evidence showed the three children in the bedroom were likely to have been "incapacitated very quickly" but that Ella and Jordan made attempts to escape.

In a statement Michelle Smith, Reece's father Martin Goulding and the rest of the family, said: "We are pleased that Dyson Allen has been convicted of the manslaughter of our beautiful children Reece, Holly, Ella and Jordan. We'll never know the reason why our children were taken from us but even knowing the answer won't bring them back. He had the chance to explain his actions to the police and the court but he lied from the very beginning.

"We would like to thank the fire service and other emergency services who tried to save the children that night and we would especially like to thank the police for their determination in bringing him before the courts and for the outcome that we now have today. That outcome has only been reached because of the help and support given to the police by people who have been willing to give evidence.

"Finally though, we would like to pay tribute to Reece who paid the ultimate price for trying to rescue his brother and sisters and for that we will be eternally grateful and proud."

Outside court, the children's grandmother, Christine, described their ordeal as "hell".

Giving evidence, Allen tearfully denied four counts of murder and four alternative counts of manslaughter.

He did admit involvement in starting a locker fire when he was a pupil at his former high school and also setting fire to a local field.

But he denied claims that he sprayed flaming aerosols at a house party in March 2011.

David Fish QC, defending, asked Allen: "Did you start that fire in the wardrobe at Lytham Road on January 7 last year?"

"No," the defendant replied.

"Either accidentally or deliberately?" continued his barrister.

"No," he said again.

Mr Fish then asked: "Did you intend that night any harm to Jordan?"

His voice breaking and fighting back tears, Allen said: "No."

The defendant struggled to compose himself as he repeated the same answer in relation to Ella, Holly and Reece.

Following today's verdicts, a woman - believed to be the defendant's mother - stormed out of court and shouted: "It's all her fault. If she hadn't had her f***** party none of this would have happened."

Outside court, Detective Chief Superintendent Dermott Horrigan said: "This has been one of the most tragic and significant cases that Lancashire has seen for a number of years which has left a family and a community devastated by their loss.

"Four innocent people died as a result of the actions of this man who has shown no remorse and lied throughout the investigation and court case. There were plenty of opportunities for Dyson Allen to admit his guilt yet he persisted with his denial causing the family even further anguish and the ordeal of not only having to sit through a trial but to stand up and give evidence as well.

"Officers from across the force worked tirelessly on what was an incredibly tragic and difficult investigation to bring this case to court. I would also like recognise the bravery of all those friends and associates, of both the family and the defendant, who had the courage to come forward and give evidence which I know was not an easy thing to do.

"I would also like to express my thanks to all of the agencies involved including Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, the forensic scientists, the CPS and the whole prosecution team for their work - It is that team work that has ultimately led us to a successful conviction today.

"Our thoughts, as always, remain with the family and although nothing will bring their children back, I hope today's result will bring the family some closure and help them to come to terms with the most devastating loss one can possibly imagine."

He added: "He is the only person who knows why he started the fire.

"You would like to think he will consider his position and what he has put the family through.

"I hope he does that."

Group Manager Mark Hutton of Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service said: "This was one of the most tragic fires Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service has ever attended. Despite intense efforts on the night by fire fighters, paramedics and medical staff, 19-year-old Reece Smith, four-year-old twin girls Holly and Ella and their brother Jordan aged two, all lost their lives and I would once again seek to extend our deepest sympathy to the family.

"In the immediate aftermath, and for over a year afterwards, specialist fire investigators from our Incident Intelligence function worked as part of a multi-agency team to establish not only how this started but also why it developed so quickly and with such tragic consequences.

"Working closely with forensic scientists, scenes of crime officers and other experts, the investigation was painstaking in its detail.

"The findings were examined further in live fire trials conducted inside a full scale reconstruction of the Lytham Rd dormer bungalow. Sadly the consistent picture that emerged was that of an extremely fast growing fire that produced conditions in the first floor that became fatal in a matter of minutes.

"Whilst we are deeply saddened by the loss of life we are reassured that our collective ability to mount such a full, thorough and professional investigation has contributed to the verdict announced today."

Joanne Cunliffe, Crown Advocate for CPS North West's Complex Casework Unit said: "The jury has today concluded that Dyson Allen was responsible for the fatal fire at a house in Freckleton last year in which four siblings lost their lives, and that he is guilty of their manslaughter.

"Dyson Allen's actions in deliberately starting a fire in a bedroom where three young children were sleeping were truly wicked.

"The heroic efforts of their brother, Reece, to rescue Holly, Ella and Jordan from the fire also led to the tragic loss of his own life. This act of bravery is in stark contrast to the cowardice shown by Dyson Allen, who has attempted to evade responsibility for his actions throughout the investigation and the trial. Nevertheless, the jury have seen through his lies and we have been able to secure his conviction.

"Although today's result can in no way compensate the family and friends of Reece, Holly, Ella and Jordan who needlessly lost their lives in this terrible crime, we can only hope the justice that these verdicts have delivered brings them some measure of comfort. Our thoughts are with them."

Freckleton house fire: Teenager Dyson Allen guilty of killing four siblings in blaze

Four-year-old twins Holly and Ella Smith and their two-year-old brother Jordan were asleep as the fire took hold

By Adam Withnall - Independent.co.uk

July 24, 2013

A 19-year-old man has been found guilty of starting the fire in a bedroom which killed four members of the same family in Freckleton, Lancashire.

Dyson Allen was convicted of four counts of manslaughter, and is set to be given a lengthy jail sentence, after a jury heard he held a naked flame up to clothes in a wardrobe next to where four-year-old twins Holly and Ella Smith and brother Jordan, two, were sleeping.

Elder brother Reece, 19, went upstairs to try and rescue his younger brother and sisters, but was overcome by the fumes.

All four died from smoke inhalation as a result of the rapidly-spreading blaze on 7 January last year.

Dyson Allen, weeping as the verdicts were given, was cleared of their murders.

Members of the victims’ family shouted “yes” in court, before a statement was given to the assembled press on behalf of Michelle Smith, the children’s mother, Martin Goulding, Reece’s father, and other relatives.

“We are pleased that Dyson Allen has been convicted of the manslaughter of our beautiful children Reece, Holly, Ella and Jordan,” it read.

“We will never know the reason why our children were taken from us but even knowing the answer would not bring them back.

”He had the chance to explain his actions to the police and the court. He lied from the very beginning, and continued to the very end.

“We would like to thank the fire service and all other emergency services who tried to save the children that night.

“We would especially like to thank the police for their determination in bringing him before the courts and for today’s outcome.

“Finally, we would like to pay tribute to Reece who paid the ultimate price for trying to rescue his brother and sisters and for that are eternally grateful and very, very proud.”

Sentencing was adjourned until 27 September for the preparation of psychiatric reports.

But judge Mr Justice Males told the court: ”There must be no doubt that it is inevitable there will be a substantial prison sentence.“

Lancashire Police’s Det Chief Supt Dermott Horrigan said it had been one of the most tragic and significant murder inquiries the county had seen in years.

Speaking of the reasons behind the convicted 19-year-old’s actions, he said: “Dyson Allen, an individual who has caused immense tragedy, has been given numerous opportunities to explain.

“We may get an explanation in due course from him as to why he started that fire. Unless he does that, he’s the only person that knows why he deliberately put an ignition source into that wardrobe with three small children in the bedroom.”

Freckleton fire: Reece Smith, 19, was 'true hero'

BBC.co.uk

July 24, 2013

The father of a teenager who died while attempting to rescue his brothers and sisters from a house fire in Lancashire has described him as a "true hero".

Reece Smith, 19, was overcome by smoke as he tried to rescue four-year-old twins Holly and Ella and Jordan, two.

All four were killed by the blaze, started by family friend Dyson Allen, 19, in the children's bedroom in Freckleton last year.

Allen was found guilty of manslaughter at Preston Crown Court.

Reece's father, Martin Goulding, said the loss of the siblings had been "devastating for the whole family".

"I've lost my son and the family altogether has lost four children.

"It doesn't make any sense at all, I don't understand it. The loss is just so great, there's no words to cover that."

'My best friend'

Mr Goulding said he had received the news the following morning when the police knocked at his door.

Speaking about his son's actions, he said that Reece was "a true hero".

"He has done me and the family proud, trying to save his brothers and sisters.

"He loved his family very much. I wouldn't have expected him to do anything else, that's the sort of person he was.

"If there was ever somebody in trouble, he would be there to help them."

He added that he had lost his son and "best friend".

Following Allen's conviction, a statement read out by Lancashire Police on behalf of the Smith family also paid tribute to Reece.

It said that the 19-year-old had "paid the ultimate price for trying to rescue his brother and sisters and for that we will be eternally proud".

Freckleton fire: Dyson Allen used 'to start fires'

BBC.co.uk

July 15, 2013

A teenager accused of killing four siblings in a house blaze told a jury he started fires when he was younger.

Dyson Allen, 19, denies deliberately or accidentally starting a fire in a bedroom wardrobe in a dormer bungalow in Freckleton, Lancashire.

Four-year-old twins Holly and Ella Smith and brothers, Jordan, two, and Reece, 19. died on 7 January 2012.

Preston Crown Court has heard Mr Allen was the only other person upstairs when the fire broke out.

Giving evidence, Mr Allen tearfully denied four counts of murder and four alternative counts of manslaughter.

'Drunk and stoned'

He accepted he had been involved with starting a fire in a locker at his high school when he was 15 and that he had lit fires in overgrown fields with friends but it was not close to houses.

He said aerosol cans were used in the fields to ignite the flames on occasion to "increase the speed".

But he denied using a similar method at a house party in March 2011.

Mr Fish said: "It has been said that you lit the spray from a deodorant can at that party that night?"

"That is not true," Allen said.

David Fish QC, defending, asked Mr Allen: "Did you start that fire in the wardrobe at Lytham Road on 7 January last year?"

"No," the defendant replied.

"Either accidentally or deliberately?" continued his barrister.

"No," he said again.

Mr Fish then asked: "Did you intend that night any harm to Jordan?

Mr Allen again said: "No."

The defendant struggled to compose himself as he repeated the same answer in relation to Ella, Holly and Reece.

'Heavy cannabis use'

Mr Allen had had one previous conviction for common assault in September 2010 and two reprimands for theft and possession of cannabis resin, the court heard.

A birthday party was being held at the dormer bungalow for the children's mother, Michelle Smith, 37, on the night of the fatal fire.

Mr Allen, a family friend from the Freckleton area, was a regular visitor there and stayed overnight the evening before the blaze.

Witnesses have told the court that the defendant appeared "drunk and stoned" on the night of the fire.

Mr Allen told the jury that he had first started using cannabis when he was 16 but his use became "heavier" as he progressed to taking it on a weekly basis.

Reece Smith was overcome by fumes as he dashed upstairs to rescue his younger sisters and brother who were all in the same bedroom.

Post-mortem examinations concluded all four had died from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by smoke inhalation.

Freckleton fire: Dyson Allen 'started fire deliberately'

BBC.co.uk

June 11, 2013

Four siblings died from smoke inhalation after a teenager deliberately started a fire in a bedroom wardrobe, a court has heard.

Dyson Allen, 19, is charged with the murder of Reece Smith, 19, four-year-old twins Holly and Ella and Jordan, two, in a blaze at their Freckleton home on 7 January last year.

He was the only other person upstairs at the dormer bungalow when the fire broke out, Preston Crown Court heard.

He denies four counts of murder.

He also denies four alternative counts of manslaughter.

Neil Flewitt QC, prosecuting, said: "It is the prosecution's case that the defendant, Dyson Allen, was responsible for starting that fire and he did so deliberately."

The fire began inside a wardrobe in the bedroom shared by the three young children and their mother, Michelle Smith, said the prosecutor.

Three family friends were also in the house, along with the defendant, who was a friend of another of Ms Smith's sons.

'Memory not clear'

Mr Allen was a regular visitor and stayed overnight the evening before the blaze, the jury was told.

Mr Flewitt said Ms Smith had allowed Mr Allen to store some of his personal belongings in a bag in the young children's bedroom.

"The presence of that bag may be significant because it would provide a reason for Dyson Allen to go into that bedroom," he said.

"Apart from the three young children who were asleep in their beds, he was the only person upstairs when the fire started and he was the person that alerted the other occupants of the house to what was happening."

Mother-of-nine Ms Smith, 37, said the lights went off before the defendant jumped down the stairs and shouted "fire" before running through the kitchen and out of the back door.

Mr Flewitt said: "Michelle Smith's memory of subsequent events is understandably not clear but she recalls being taken out of the house and sitting on the little wall at the end of the driveway.

"She doesn't remember Reece going up the stairs but she remembers him being brought out and everyone gathering around him.

"Thereafter she was taken in a police car to the hospital where she discovered that four of her children had died in the fire."

Ms Smith told police that smoke alarms had been fitted at the top and bottom of the stairs but Reece Smith had taken them down in the days before the fire because one or both of them kept making beeping noises.

Freckleton fire: Dyson Allen pleads not guilty to murder

BBC.co.uk

March 4, 2013

A teenager has pleaded not guilty to the murder of four siblings who died in a house fire in Lancashire.

Dyson Allen, 19, of no fixed address, was remanded in custody at Preston Crown Court to face trial on 4 June.

He is charged with the murder of Reece Smith, 19, four-year-old twins Holly and Ella and Jordan, two, in a blaze at their Freckleton home on 7 January last year.

The children died from the effects of smoke inhalation.

Investigators said the blaze in the converted bungalow was started by a naked flame inside a wardrobe, in the children's bedroom of the house in Lytham Road.

Pictured: The 18-year-old arrested on suspicion of murder after four members of same family were killed in birthday party blaze 'which was started in a wardrobe'

Dyson Allen arrested yesterday morning
He is believed to be a friend of victim Reece Smith, 19, who died trying to save his siblings
Four-year-old twins Holly and Ella, and two-year-old Jordan, two, also died
Fire service said four smoke alarms were fitted but none worked
Police confirm the fire was started inside a wardrobe in one of the bedrooms

By Emily Allen - DailyMail.co.uk

January 12, 2012

This is the 18-year-old who has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a house fire left four siblings dead.

Dyson Allen, from Lytham, Lancashire, is believed to have been a friend of Reece Smith, 19, who died trying to save his young siblings.

He even posted a tribute to the victims on Facebook, saying 'you are all going to be remembered by allot of broken hearts'.

Allen, who also attended a memorial service for the children, was arrested following the fire last Saturday evening. He is not related to the family.

It was confirmed that the fire was started inside a wardrobe in one of the bedrooms at the house on Lytham Road, Freckleton.

Four people, 19-year-old Reece, four-year-old twin girls Holly and Ella Smith and Jordan Smith, two, were killed in the blaze during their mother Michelle Smith's 36th birthday party.

Allen was held yesterday at an address in nearby Lytham and is now being questioned by detectives at Blackpool police station.

His misspelled Facebook tribute to those killed in the fire read: 'R.I.P Reece smith, Holly 'n' Ella smith, Jordan smith (banger).

'you all are going to be remembered by allot of broken hearts, Reece, you was a hero to us all, that's brave-heart my friend :(

'Banger, youll always be my lil boxer :'( Holly 'n' Ella, the most happiest twins you could see. :'( :'(

'keep on dancing strong in the heavens all you angles.'

Detective Chief Inspector Neil Esseen, from Lancashire Police, said: 'I can confirm that this fire is now being treated as suspicious. We are following a number of lines of inquiry and have spoken with a number of people who were at the house on the night in question.

'However, I would still urge anybody who has any information which they believe could assist us with our investigation to come forward.'

Mr Esseen added: 'Obviously, given that we now have a man under arrest, I cannot go into details about certain aspects of the investigation.

'However, what I would say is that we are at the very early stages of a major investigation and are following a number of different lines of inquiry.

'At this stage it is still unclear as to what happened in the lead-up to the fire starting.

'I would renew our appeal for anyone with information that could assist our inquiry to come forward.

'This is a tragic incident and our thoughts remain with the family at such a difficult time.

The officer would not be drawn on whether the suspect in custody was a guest at the party held at the house on Saturday night.

He said the victims were in two separate attic rooms at the property, which suffered limited fire damage but extensive smoke damage.

Mr Esseen added that it 'became clear' once fire investigators analysed the scene the blaze was not accidental though he confirmed no accelerant such as petrol had been used to start the blaze.

Post-mortem examinations gave the cause of the four deaths as smoke inhalation.

Lancashire Fire Service confirmed that smoke alarms were fitted but were not working when the fire started.

The family allowed the Fire Service to reveal the information in the hope other families would test their smoke alarms to prevent similar tragedies.

Andrew Smith, 16, followed his older brother Reece into the burning house but fled after he was blocked by thick toxic smoke pouring out of the attic bedroom where his sisters were unconscious.

The children’s grandmother Christine Smith, 57, thanked her grandson for his brave attempts to rescue his siblings.

She said: 'He tried to go in but he could not go any further because of the fire. He will have gone in after Reece. He went in to save his siblings and they have all lost their lives but Reece would do anything for them.'

Miss Smith said both her grandsons’ actions had been very brave but each of them would 'do anything for each other'.

She said: 'I think I would have done the same thing. The only thing they were thinking was to get their sisters and brother out.

'The same thing could have happened to Andrew as it did to his brother but luckily he got out.

'I would just like to thank Andrew for trying to help his sisters and brother. He was very brave like his brother.'

She added: 'Reece was a cracking lad, Holly was really fun and Ella was a bit of a softy.

'Jordan? He was cool. At the moment I cannot see how the future will be, I am just living from day-to-day.

'At the moment I cannot say how I will remember them. Words cannot say what they meant to me.'

Speaking to The Sun, Reece's father, Martin, 48, said his son was extremely brave in attempting to rescue his siblings.

'He was very close to his brothers and sisters and thought the world of them,' he said.

'He thought about everybody else before himself and I am not surprised that he went back in to try and save them. I'm so proud of him.'

The fire broke out as the children's mother Michelle Smith was throwing a 36th birthday party at the home. The children died in an attic bedroom.

Earlier this week Keith Smith, 56, the heartbroken grandfather of the four children, left a poetic tribute at the scene.

Mr Smith, father of the children's mother Michelle, addressed his note to 'Reece, Jordan, Ella, Holly.'

His poem reads: 'The time here you really shone/ A short lives you had/ Now your gone [sic].

'All my love was there to keep/ My life is broken all I do is weep.'

He signs his message, in red marker pen, 'Grandad Smith, love you forever, till we meet again'.

His tribute is propped against a white wooden fence placed outside the Lancashire home, on which someone has written: 'Please leave a message.'

Others have added: 'Your [sic] in my thoughts, sleep tight' and 'RIP'.

The wall is piled with flowers and teddy bears left by friends and family in tribute to the dead children.

Sobbing uncontrollably, Miss Smith returned to the converted bungalow on Sunday accompanied by police officers.

Clutching a picture of her twin girls, all she could say was: ‘I have lost the lights of my life... Where can I turn?’

The full-time mother had invited friends round for a party on Saturday night when the fire started.

Revellers spilled out onto the pavement in panic, before dialling 999 shortly before 11.30pm.

On Tuesday other relatives described teenager Reece as a ‘hero’.

Miss Smith, who has three other daughters and two sons who live elsewhere, had also stayed in the home and had to be led to safety by firemen. She was unharmed.

Miss Smith’s father said his blood ‘turned cold’ when he heard the story on the news.

‘I rushed down here straight away, all the time wishing it wasn’t going to be true, but when I got here my worst nightmare came true,’ he said.

‘I’m still trying to take it all in. They were smashing kids. The last time I saw them was at Christmas.'

They had moved into the house about two-and-a-half years ago and seemed very happy there.

‘I’m still in shock. It is devastating news,’ he said.

Fighting back tears, he added: ‘It was Michelle’s birthday – I feel so sorry for her. They are cracking kids and she is a great mother.’

Miss Smith’s former partner, Colin Ostler, 42, said: ‘Michelle is in shock, she’s devastated, we all are, but it’s not really hit her yet. She’s too upset to talk about it, the enormity of what’s happened just hasn’t sunk in.’

Police and fire crews were confronted with a ‘chaotic’ scene when they arrived, with many partygoers on the street in a distressed state.

Six firemen wearing breathing apparatus went inside the property and brought out the four children.

They were taken to the Royal Preston Hospital but declared dead.

Mr Ostler, who was in a relationship with Miss Smith for nine years and had three daughters, Bethany, 11, Jodie, ten, and Chloe, seven, with her, added: ‘It is such a sad loss, it’s just horrendous, I can’t get my head around it. Nobody should see their children die.’