Two men deny house fire murder

The fire started in the early hours of 25 June

Two men have denied murdering another man in an arson attack on a house in Wolverhampton.

Akashdeep Singh, 26, died in hospital after being trapped upstairs with family members, who were also seriously injured in the fire.

Daniel Tatters, 25, and Dale Francis, 36, also each denied three counts of attempted murder and arson with intent to endanger life.

On Friday, the pair, both from Basford in Stoke-on-Trent, appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court where they were remanded in custody for trial on a date yet to be fixed.

Emergency services were called to a blaze at a property on Plascom Road, East Park, shortly after 01:00 BST on 25 June.

Four other family members, including a 16-year-old boy, were injured in the blaze.

Mr Singh's family has described him as a "kind, helpful, and deeply religious person".

The family has since started a fundraising appeal to "to help us try and start again in life" which has so far reached more than £4,000.

Last month, Crimestoppers said it was offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the incident.