Pair quizzed over house-fire deaths in North Wales as police name victims

Police have named a woman and two young children who died in a house fire as they continue to question their neighbours on suspicion of murder.

Lee-Anna Shiers, 20, was killed after the blaze broke out in Prestatyn, North Wales, while her nephew Bailey Allen, four, and niece Skye Allen, two, also perished.

Their bodies were pulled from the first floor flat in Maes Y Groes after it was engulfed in flames on Friday night.

Firefighters managed to rescue Miss Shiers' partner Liam Timbrell, 23, and their son Charlie Timbrell, 15 months, who were rushed to Glan Clwyd Hospital by ambulance.

Mr Timbrell, who remains in a critical but stable condition, was later transferred to Whiston Hospital, Merseyside, while Charlie was moved to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.

Miss Shiers' friend Chloe Hopkins, 20, described her as a "devoted mum" to Charlie.

She told The Sun: "I'm just devastated. She was the kindest person - she would do anything for anyone. I can't think of anyone who would want to do this to her."

One woman, who lives close by, said a neighbour had tried to mount a rescue as fire crews rushed to the scene.

The woman, who declined to be named, said: "There were two large bangs and at first I thought it was a car crash because the road at the end of Maes Y Groes is quite busy.

"I looked out of the window and saw there was smoke but I couldn't tell which house it was.

"Apparently the next-door neighbour tried to get a ladder up to the window of the top flat.

"When I looked out later on, I saw the man on the floor as the paramedics tried to help him.

"It's so sad that two little ones have died, a terrible tragedy."

North Wales Police yesterday arrested two ground floor tenants, a man, aged 45, and a woman, aged 42, on suspicion of murder.

Detective Superintendent John Chapman said: "My heart goes out to the family and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

"We are deploying family liaison officers to work closely with the next of kin at this difficult time.

"There is a team of dedicated officers working on specific lines of inquiry in relation to this incident."

He appealed for anyone who may have seen anything suspicious at the time to contact police on 101.

PA