Bedford flats explosion resident says belongings were stolen

More than 20 flats at Redwood Grove in Bedford were destroyed by the blast

A woman whose home was destroyed in an explosion at a block of flats said she believed the site was looted after the blast and family jewellery was missing.

More than 20 flats at Redwood Grove in Bedford were destroyed in July, with police believing it was caused by a resident who died in the explosion.

Karina Kaetano said her and other residents found items were not there when police went to retrieve them.

Bedfordshire Police confirmed it was investigating.

The explosion on 4 July led to much of the three-story building being completely destroyed, with alternative accommodation having to be found for 50 households.

Police said they believed resident Reena James, 42, forced entry to another flat and doused it with a flammable liquid before setting it on fire. She died in the blaze and three other residents were taken to hospital.

Karina Kaetano said it was "heart-breaking" that items had been "stolen" from her home

Before the building was recently levelled, Ms Kaetano said police asked for a list of items residents would like recovered from the flats, and she and her partner spoke about their jewellery box and watch box. However, they were returned empty.

"Bearing in mind that the items were in a bedroom that was not affected by the fire," she said.

"What's most heart-breaking is that they stole items that can never be bought again. They stole my family jewellery that was passed down for generations and those items I'll never be able to recover."

Temporary fencing was put up around the block of flats days after the blast

The building where the flats were destroyed has since been levelled

She said a particularly special item was a blue sapphire bracelet with white crystals on.

"I never wore it because I was scared of losing it," she said.

"It's heart-breaking that after losing everything and going through a traumatic experience, someone took advantage of the situation to steal from us."

There was a two-month investigation into the explosion

In September, following an investigation into the cause of the blaze, Ch Supt John Murphy said: "The very clear indication from everything we have discovered is that it was a deliberate criminal act of arson, targeted at a specific flat.

"Our investigation has found that entry was likely to have been forced into that flat, after which several areas were doused in a flammable liquid.

"The vapour from this accelerant became so great that, when it was ignited, it caused an explosion followed by the fire which took hold of the building."