Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Leicester explosion: Two more arrested in connection with deadly blast which killed five

Pair detained on suspicion of conspiracy to cause an explosion and for offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act

Sherna Noah
Friday 02 March 2018 18:53 GMT
Emergency services at the scene on Hinckley Road in Leicester
Emergency services at the scene on Hinckley Road in Leicester (PA)

Two more men have been arrested in connection with a deadly blast which killed five people - bringing the total in police custody to five.

Both in their 30s and from East Anglia, the pair will be questioned by detectives, Leicestershire Police said.

The force said the new suspects were detained on suspicion of conspiracy to cause an explosion and for offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The men join three others who were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter on Wednesday and they continue to be questioned by police.

The incident on Hinckley Road, which demolished a supermarket and the two-storey flat above, follows the explosion in Boston, Lincolnshire, in 2011 which killed five Lithuanian men and was caused by an illegal vodka factory.

Leicestershire Police refused to comment on other media reports which have said the explosion may have been caused by an illegal alcohol distillery.

Detectives had recently appealed for witnesses to come forward in order to establish how the explosion happened on Sunday, shortly after 7pm.

Human remains were recovered from the ruins of the building after the blast which was followed by a large fire.

The total number of people in custody has now risen to five, with the two men joining three others from the East Midlands, East Anglia and the North West.

The five victims are Mary Rajoobeer, 46, her two sons Shane, 18, and Sean, 17, Leah Beth Reek, 18, who was Shane's girlfriend, and Viktorija Ljevleva, 22.

Specialist officers continue to sift through the wreckage in search of clues, with the scene expected to remain cordoned off for several days at least.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in