Birmingham firework death: Man died from severe burns

Police are treating Anthony Nicholls' death as murder

A man died from severe burns after a box of fireworks was pushed towards his feet by intruders who kicked in his front door, an inquest heard.

Anthony Nicholls, 56, died five days after the fireworks were lit inside his house in Birmingham in November 2017.

The inquest heard a murder inquiry was continuing into his death.

Assistant coroner James Bennett recorded a narrative verdict that he died from injuries caused by the deliberate activation of the firework.

Flames and smoke engulfed the house in Tile Cross

The inquest heard criminal damage had been caused to the victim's house in Birchtrees Crescent in Tile Hill on the two days before the arson attack on 2 November 2017.

Det Sgt James Herring said three people, one carrying a large item, were caught on CCTV heading towards and away from the house.

He told the coroner that police were "still actively seeking those involved in the murder".

Following the hearing, West Midlands Police said there had been no charges over the death and six people previously arrested were released and remain under investigation.

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Det Sgt Herring told the inquest Mr Nicholls and partner Maria Jones were eating a meal in the living room when a "large lit firework was slid along the hallway".

According to accounts by Ms Jones, who suffered a broken leg jumping from a first floor window and has since died from a cause unrelated to the fire, the firework box was "fizzing and smoking" and stopped at Mr Nicholls' feet before it "went off setting curtains and other items alight".

Mr Nicholls fled to an upstairs bedroom, where he became trapped, and died in hospital from "unsurvivable" burns and injuries linked to smoke inhalation.

In a statement read out the inquest, his daughter Fiona said: "My dad was a kind, caring and funny man whose life was cut short by this wicked act."

Police previously released an image of the type of firework that was let off