Boy, 9, and aunt died in 'accidental' fire

Emergency services were called to Rawson Street in the early hours of 14 January

A nine-year-old boy and his aunt died after an "accidental" house fire, a coroner has concluded.

Emergency services were called to the scene at Rawson Street, Selston, Nottinghamshire, in the early hours of 14 January.

Siobhan Abbott, 24, died at Nottingham City Hospital on 16 January, while Riley Chambers died two days later at the Queen's Medical Centre, also in Nottingham.

Nathanael Hartley, assistant coroner, told a hearing at Nottingham Coroner's Court on Monday the deaths were "from injuries received in a house fire".

The court heard Riley was described as "a poor sleeper", and had been put to bed at about 19:30 GMT on 13 January in an upstairs bedroom in the normal pattern.

Ms Abbott returned to the property two hours later and went to her room upstairs, while Riley's parents and his sister went to sleep in a downstairs room at about 22:30.

'No suspicious circumstances'

CCTV from the front of the property showed a series of small flashes before a smoke alarm was heard going off shortly after 00:50.

His parents and sister evacuated through the kitchen.

Firefighters used a ladder to access the top floor and evacuate Ms Abbott, while Riley, who was no longer in his bedroom, was found in a room upstairs, the inquest heard.

A joint investigation by Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service and Nottinghamshire Police found there were no suspicious circumstances and no evidence of third-party involvement in the fire, which began in the downstairs hallway.

Chris Navin, a station manager and fire investigator for the fire service, said the investigation found the fire was caused by "a naked flame [that] had been brought into contact with combustible materials".

'Sorely missed'

Mr Hartley said four lighters were found in the property, two of which were in Riley's bedroom cupboard, and one that was discovered in his parents' wardrobe.

He said he had been told Riley "appeared to have a slight fascination with fire", but said a conclusion of accidental death was "appropriate" due to his age and his neurodiversity.

"On the balance of probabilities, I find Riley started a small fire in the hallway," he said.

"Sadly, that fire spread, resulting in significant damage to the property, leading to his and Siobhan's deaths."

Mr Hartley offered his condolences to the family of the deceased, noting Ms Abbott was described in court by a relative as "beautiful, spontaneous and gregarious".

"They will both, no doubt, be sorely missed by many," he said.

After the inquest, Mr Navin said: "Following thorough investigations by ourselves and our colleagues at Nottinghamshire Police, and following the inquest today, the most probable cause of this tragic incident has been deemed as a naked flame combined with combustible materials.

"This is an extremely sad incident, and we would like to send our sincere condolences to the family and friends of both Riley and his aunt, Siobhan."