A HEARTBROKEN father who lost his wife and son following a blaze which destroyed their home today admitted he has yet to find a way to tell his Down's syndrome son that his mum and little brother are dead.

Anguished Brian Stoddard says he cannot bring himself to tell his nine-year-old son Dean that his mother, Gaynor, 37, and little brother Brandon, four, perished as a result of the fire which ripped through their Lonsdale Street, Accrington, home on Sunday, May 21.

The 41-year-old -- who also has another son, Aaron, 13, and three daughters, Lyndsay, 19, Lisa, 17, and Melanie, 15 -- is now living just yards away from the charred family home in neighbouring Rutland Street, where Lisa lives. Despite immense support from friends, neighbours and well-wishers, Brian today admitted he has yet to find a way to explain the deaths of Gaynor, who died two days after her 37th birthday, and Brandon to Dean.

Brian said: "Ever since Gaynor died Dean has been asking 'Where is Mummy' or asking me 'When is Mummy coming home?' How do I possibly answer that when he won't understand it anyway?

"All I can do is point to a picture of her on the wall and tell him that she is watching him."

That family portrait, along with a snap of Brandon on a daytrip in Blackpool, are the only physical reminders of the dead mother and son Brian has -- everything else was burnt as the inferno took hold of the Stoddard's home.

Brian and his two older sons managed to escape the blaze. Gaynor and Brandon had to be rescued by firefighters. Brandon died the same day. Gaynor, who suffered 70 per cent burns in the fire died three days later.

The family are now trying to look to the future, but are still waiting to move into their new home after deciding they do not want to return to the charred remains of their terraced family home.

Brian added: "Gaynor was away a lot before the fire looking after her father, who died of cancer.

"That is making Dean even more anxious about his mum because he doesn't like being away from her. I just tell him that she is looking after Grandad. My other children are helping me look after him. Like me, they have their ups and their downs, but it is time for us to look to the future and hope for the best."

Picture: Brian and son Dean (left) in a much cherished family photograph taken in happier times.