Girl, 7, and aunt killed in Grangetown house fire amid A66 crash investigation

Valentina Foster, 7, and Natalie McDonald, 34, died in a blaze in Birchington Avenue, Grangetown. Two men, aged 23 and 31, are in custody on suspicion of murder.

Two dead in Grangetown house fire as police probe link to A66 crash

A seven-year-old girl and her aunt have died following a house fire in Grangetown, near Middlesbrough, less than a mile from the site of a crash on the A66 that killed seven people last Saturday, The Independent reports.

Valentina Foster, aged seven — also known as Tina — and her aunt Natalie McDonald, 34, died after the blaze broke out at an end-of-terrace property in Birchington Avenue in the early hours of Wednesday morning. A 48-year-old woman was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle in a critical condition. Three other people sustained injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

Cleveland Police said officers were called to the property at 5:23am. Two men, aged 23 and 31, have since been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody.

Families pay tribute

Ms McDonald's mother, Lisa Kirton, told The Times that her daughter "was a beautiful, bubbly person who everyone knew." She told the BBC that Valentina 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."

Neighbours raised the alarm

A 20-year-old neighbour, Ellie, who declined to give her surname, said she ran up and down the street shouting to raise the alarm as residents tried to help those inside. "The entire house was scorching," she said. "I couldn't get near the front of the house, it was that hot."

She described staying with a crying woman who had jumped from an upstairs window, holding her hand until paramedics arrived.

Another neighbour said their daughter had been woken by shouting and screaming. "The dogs were barking," they added.

Firefighters were seen damping down the smouldering roof of the property, with a ladder left propped against a rear upstairs window.

Police keep open mind on organised crime link

Redcar and Cleveland Local Policing Commander, Superintendent Emily Harrison, said officers were continuing to investigate and supporting the families of those who had died.

"Two men, aged 23 and 31, remain in police custody at this time and they are being questioned," she said.

Harrison added that police were keeping an open mind on whether the fire was connected to the A66 crash or to broader criminal activity. "We cannot rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time," she said, urging residents with information to contact officers or call 101.

A66 crash killed seven

The fire comes days after a crash on the A66 at South Bank in which a VW Passat, travelling the wrong way on the dual carriageway while evading police, struck a marked armed response vehicle. Two officers — PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38 — were killed in the collision. The five occupants of the Passat — Cole Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, Michael Robert Cahill, 23, and Jacob Matusiak, 23 — were pronounced dead at the scene.

Cleveland Police have arrested 17 people in connection with the crash, charging two and bailing the remainder, as part of an investigation into alleged organised crime. The pursuit had been triggered by an earlier incident in which a property in the Acklam area of Middlesbrough, linked to Worthy, was rammed by a vehicle. The chase was called off after the Passat entered the A66 against the flow of traffic.

Police have previously stated that the five men in the car may have had links to "serious and organised criminal activity" and that four of them had previous convictions. PC Blades and PC Clough had not been involved in the original pursuit but were called to the area to assist in the search for the Passat.

On Wednesday, an online fundraising appeal for the families of the two officers passed the £1 million mark. Inquests for those who died in the crash were due to open in Middlesbrough on Thursday.

Political reaction

Redcar Labour MP Anna Turley expressed her condolences to all those affected. "Our community has faced a profound amount of heartbreak over the past few weeks," she said in a statement, urging residents to give emergency services space and to avoid speculation while the investigation continues.

Redcar and Cleveland borough councillor for Grangetown Adam Brook described the fire as "absolutely devastating" and similarly called on people not to share unconfirmed information.

Source: The Independent