Scottish Catholic Observer

A Derbyshire community is in mourning after the death of six sibling Catholic children in a deliberately set house fire.

Duwayne Philpott, 13, died at Birmingham Children’s Hospital with his parents at his bedside on Monday following the death of his siblings Jade, 10, John, 9, Jack, 7, Jessie, 6, and Jayden, 5, in the blaze at their house on Victory Road, Allenton, Derby, on Friday morning.

Following his death, Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cotterill of Derbyshire police said: “After further forensic examination, we believe the fire was not accidental, initial indications are that it was deliberately set and, as a result, six children have been unlawfully killed.”

Emergency services were called to reports of fire at the house shortly before 4am on Friday. The six children were asleep in their beds, and two adults, including their father Mick Philpott, were downstairs.

Mr Philpott, neighbours and firefighters fought to rescue the trapped children from the first floor of the council house. They were taken to the Royal Derby Hospital, but died despite doctors’ efforts to save them.

Mourning

Prior to Duwayne’s death, St George’s Catholic Church held a service for the local community to offer their prayers in memory of the Philpott children. The church, which is affiliated with the children’s school—St George’s Catholic Primary School, is attended by Mr Philpott.

Fr Alan Burbidge, from the church, said that he had visited the school and has ‘never before in [his] life had to deal with anything on this scale.’

Neighbours of the family have started to raise money to help pay for the funerals of the children. Fr Alan Burbidge said the community had rallied round the family.

He added that the assemblies had been to help the children ‘come to terms with the news.’

“I have never seen so many children lost at once in a school. It is just terribly tragic. There is a huge hole in the school community now,” he said.

Family

Mr Philpott gained notoriety in the national press when he was reported to be the father of 17 children, and hit the headlines again after he asked for a larger house to share with his wife, girlfriend and eight children.