Arrest made after three boys and a woman die in house fire

Man arrested on suspicion of murder

Three children and a woman have died after a house fire in north-west London, with a man arrested on suspicion of murder.

Officers were called to assist the London Fire Brigade (LFB) at the scene of the blaze at the home in Tillett Close, Stonebridge, at 1.22am on Saturday.

A 43-year-old woman, a girl aged 15, and two boys aged eight and four died at the scene, the Metropolitan Police said.

Firefighters said the woman and one of the children were rescued from the second floor of the house but were declared dead by air ambulance crews.

The other two children were found inside the property as crews continued to tackle the blaze, LFB said, and were also declared dead at the scene.

Their next-of-kin have been informed.

A 41-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and remains in custody.

Police have cordoned the street off and much of the house has been gutted by the fire.

Superintendent Steve Allen, from the Met’s local policing team in north-west London, said: “This is an extremely tragic incident and our thoughts are with everyone involved.

“Officers arrested a man at the scene and we continue to work alongside investigators from the London Fire Brigade to establish the cause of the fire.

“Emergency services will remain in Tillett Close throughout the day as these inquiries take place.”

Dawn Butler, the local Labour MP for Brent East, said in a post on X: “Devastated to see the fatal fire at homes in Tillett Close last night.

“My prayers are with the family and friends affected by this is a very sad tragedy.

“@LFB_Brent worked hard to get it under control, thank you.”

LFB Assistant Commissioner Keeley Foster said: “This is an extremely tragic incident, and the thoughts of everyone across the brigade are with those impacted by this incident.

“Our specialist fire investigation unit are working closely with colleagues from the Metropolitan Police Service to now determine the cause of this fire.

“We are working closely with our partners to support the community at this very sad time.”

Eight fire engines and around 70 firefighters were sent to the blaze, LFB said, with some crews still at the scene on Saturday morning.

Two other people – a woman in her 70s and a teenage girl – were taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) and their condition is unknown, police said.

LAS said the air ambulance, incident response officers, an advanced paramedic and hazardous area response team were deployed.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting CAD 509/24May or anonymously through Crimestoppers online or by calling 0800 555 111.

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Published: 24/05/2025 by Radio NewsHub