Stafford fire: Fundraiser passes £20,000 as blaze investigation continues

More than £20,000 has been raised for the family of four children killed in a house fire yesterday as investigations continue into the cause of the blaze.

The four young siblings, aged between three and eight, died as a fire ripped through their family home in Stafford in the middle of the night.

Eight-year-old Riley Holt, brothers Keegan Unitt, six, and Olly Unitt, three, died alongside their sister, four-year-old Tilly Rose Unitt, in the blaze on Sycamore Lane in the Highfields area of the town.

A fifth child, named locally as two-year-old Jack, escaped from a first-floor window along with his mother Natalie Unitt and her partner Chris Moulton.

They remained in hospital this morning but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

The cordon around the house has been slightly reduced as police and firefighters continue their forensic examination of the area.

WATCH: Tributes pour in day after fire

Investigations into the cause of the fire, which started at around 2.40am on Tuesday, are expected to last for several days.

Staffordshire Police said this morning that the children are yet to be formally identified and that post mortems will take place later in the week.

Community in shock

Residents in Highfield were still in shock today, as the number of tributes left at the road to the house continued to grow.

A bag from nearby Castlechurch Primary School, where three of the youngsters were enrolled, was placed carefully on the ground on Whittingham Drive and filled with stuffed toys.

A message from Castlechurch schoolchildren said: "Riley, I hope this day didn't happen but it did.

"Love Archie and your class."

An ambulance service dispatcher was among those to have paid their respects, leaving a bouquet and a note which said: “RIP you beautiful angels. I don’t know you personally but I was involved in last night’s incident.

“I am so gutted we couldn’t save you all. I hope your family can remain strong and you will remain in everyone’s hearts forever.”

Another note read: “Will be dearly missed, love Uncle Dave and Auntie Lou Lou”, while another added: “To my lovely grandkids I will always miss you. Love you always xxx”

Michael Dixey, 62, who lives on the estate, said he could not imagine how the family would ever get over something so terrible.

He said: "I knew their Dad. I can't believe it - those poor kiddies. They were always quite friendly. They hadn't got much. They were not well off but who is?

"I couldn't believe it. It's too close to home. How do you get over something like this? It's just so hard. It's terrible - really terrible."

McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza and Lidl all donated food to the emergency service workers who remain at the scene investigating the blaze.

People helped deliver the food this afternoon.

WATCH: Neighbours in shock after tragedy

Tory Cabinet member David Lidington expressed condolences on behalf of all MPs to the family, saying what they must be going through is "almost unendurable".

The fire was brought up at Prime Minister's Questions by Conservative Jack Brereton, who represents nearby Stoke on-Trent South.

Mr Lidington, standing in for Theresa May who was in Northern Ireland, said: "I don't believe there is any member of this House whose reaction to that ghastly news yesterday was not horror, and the most deeply felt sympathy with the family and the friends of the children and parents involved.

"Any of us that are thinking through what that family has had to live through, and must face living through, it strikes one it must be almost unendurable."

The Cabinet Office minister also paid tribute to the Staffordshire emergency services as well as local schools offering support to pupils who knew the children.

Fundraising

Meanwhile a fundraising page set up yesterday morning had raised more than £17,000 by 7am today and soared past £20,000 by 1pm.

More than 1,300 people have contributed to the JustGiving page, set up by Castlechurch parent Stephen Glover, with donations arriving from as far away as New Zealand.

A Facebook page set up for the family, called 'Community Help for Highfields family', has also received hundreds of offers of support and donations of clothing, bedding, furniture and more.

Players and supporters paid tribute at Stafford Rangers, with a minute's silence held before the Staffordshire Senior Cup Quarter Final against Wolverhampton Casuals at Marston Road last night.

Coach Alex Meechan said: "Thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved - that's more of a priority than a football match that took place tonight. As a football club we talk about uniting and the community needs to unite. God bless to all involved."

School tributes

In emotional tributes released yesterday, teachers described the children as “bright, happy, loving and lively”.

Nicola Glover is the head teacher at Castlechurch Primary School where Riley was studying and Tilly and Olly were at nursery.

She said: “Our entire school community is absolutely devastated by this news.

“Riley was a very confident, excitable member of school who came every day full of enthusiasm. He was a caring friend who hated to see anyone hurt or upset and would do his best to help or cheer them up."

• MORE: Read the school tributes in full here

She described Tilly as a "happy little girl who loved coming to nursery," and Olly as a "happy, loving boy who loved cuddles."

Kim Ellis, head teacher at Marshlands Special School where Keegan was a pupil, said: “Keegan was lively, full of fun and mischief with a really endearing smile.

“He loved school and everyone who worked with him loved him. We were all proud of him and the progress that he had made."

Both schools said support systems were being put in place to help staff and pupils.

Sheet of flames

Neighbours reported hearing loud bangs and screams as flames engulfed the upstairs of the two-storey end-terrace house in the early hours.

Firefighters, police and paramedics rushed to the scene after receiving a 999 call at 2.40am but found the four children dead inside.

WATCH: Emergency workers give update from the scene

One witness, who asked not to be named, said: “We heard a bang and looked out of the back window upstairs.

“At the start it was just a sheet of fire coming out of the bedroom window. It seemed to take ages for the fire brigade to arrive – it seemed like forever.

“The neighbours came out and drove their car out of the back garden and there were lots of fire engines and police.”

Part of the roof has collapsed, with the windows smashed and the inside appearing to have been blackened by smoke.

Mother-of-seven Amanda Blagg was in tears as she left tributes at the scene. She said: “I used to see the mum everyday taking the kids to school, I only live around the corner.

“I dropped off some flowers and a teddy, I saw what had happened on the news and I just cried.

“As a mother this is terrible, four of my children go to the same school as the kids.”

Another neighbour, Ray Oldacre said: “It’s just so sad, especially children. Just starting out on life and suddenly their opportunity is gone.

“I’ve lived round Highfields for a very long time and I know lots of people here. They’re my friends and neighbours. So it’s like losing a member of your community - that’s exactly what is it. And not just one but a number of young lives.”

He added: “It’s tragic enough for the parents who have got to live with it - that’s the tragedy isn’t it.”