FLORAL tributes have been placed against the front of a Burnley house where a mum and her son died in a double fire tragedy.

The bouquets are accompanied by simple, sad messages of sorrow and grief.

Lee Haythornthwaite should have been celebrating his 19th birthday on the day that he and his mum, Joyce Winchester, died as fire swept through their mid-terrace home in Briercliffe Road.

Joyce's husband, Ian, escaped by jumping from a first-floor window. The couple had been married 10 years.

Ian suffered bad cuts, bruising and the effect of breathing smoke and has left hospital after surgery.

Among the poignant messages outside the blackened house at Duke Bar are one which reads: "I will always love you, Emma'' and another from his mum's work friends at Specialist Anodising, New Hall Works, Elm Street, which reads: "Joyce, From everyone who had the pleasure of knowing you and working with you.''

Lee's dad, Tom Fegan, of Hilary Street, Burnley, said: "I was told of what had happened when a friend came to my door at 2.30am on Saturday.''

He and Joyce had a relationship for several years before splitting up.

He said: "I helped to bring up Lee until he was six. When we split he stayed with his mother and kept her maiden name.''

Mr Fegan added: "I hadn't seen Joyce for over 12 months until I bumped into her in a pub a week last Friday. "We had a natter and she seemed fine. Now both she and Lee are dead.''

Mr Fegan had the task of having to identify the bodies.

Lee worked as a labourer at a pizza manufacturers at Brierfield but was in the process of changing jobs.

Fire experts and scenes of crime officers have now confirmed that the blaze which ripped through the house was started by an unattended chip pan.

Station Officer Paul Harvey said there were no suspicious circumstances and that all the evidence substantiated the cause as a chip pan being left unattended on a gas ring.

There was no smoke alarm in the house.

Fire officers believe a smoke detector might have given the family a chance and have urged that all houses should be fitted with at least one smoke alarm.

At first it was feared that two other children might be in the house.

But fortunately, Kirsty, 13, and her brother, Wesley, nine, were both staying at friends' houses overnight.

The tragedy has been reported to coroner David Smith and inquests will be held.

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