Philpott fire deaths: Police stop fundraising by Catch Me When I Fall group

Police confirm a man was questioned about allegations connected to the fund

John, 9, Duwayne, 13, Jade, 10, Jayden, 5, Jesse, 6, and Jack Philpott, 7, all died after a blaze was started deliberately at the family's semi-detached house in Allenton, Derby (Rex Features)

A group raising money in the names of the six children of Mick and Mairead Philpott who died in a house fire have been advised to stop fundraising by police.

Derbyshire police investigated the Catch Me When I Fall Fund following allegations made by members of the public about how it was being run.

The force said it had questioned a man connected with the fund and found no evidence of wrongdoing, but advised that no further money be collected.

Mick, 56, and Mairead Philpott, 32, were jailed in April, with friend Paul Mosley, 46, after being convicted of killing the couple's six children in the petrol-fuelled blaze in Allenton.

The charity was founded by Bobby Sutherland after the fire killed Duwayne Philpott, 13, Jade, 10, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, and Jayden, five.

Mr Sutherland said: "The fund was set up to help pay funeral costs for the Philpott kids, and then it was set up to help other kids in their name.

"We gave the books to the police and they have had a thorough check through them. The police are not going to arrest me, we haven’t done anything wrong and we have been checked thoroughly.

"All the money has gone into the bank account set up for it."

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The family of Mairead and Mosley had called for the names of the children and the picture to be removed from the charity.

The partner of Angela Mosley, Paul Mosley’s sister told The Derby Telegraph: “I was wary of the group and said to myself last year that I was going to have a look at the money they had raised and where it had gone.

“As I did so I thought ‘something’s not right here’ so I went to the police with an allegation that the fund was not being run in a fit a proper manner.”

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The group’s web page said it had been established to “help raise money for young children of Derby that need help and support”.

In a statement, Derbyshire police said: "Police can confirm that a man connected with the Catch Me When I Fall fund has been questioned about allegations connected to the fund.

"The man was not arrested and co-operated with the thorough police inquiries. No charges have been brought against him as no evidence of wrongdoing was found.

"The man has been advised against further fund-raising in the name of Duwayne, Jade, John, Jack, Jesse and Jayden Philpott.

"Fund-raisers will now discuss what to do with the money in the account and will inform police when it is disbursed and who has benefited from it."

Mick Philpott was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years after being branded a "disturbingly dangerous" man.

His wife was sentenced to a 17-year jail term.

Additional reporting by Press Association