Father still hopes family's killers will be found after 2012 Harlow fire

Dr Sabah Usmani and her five children died in the fire at their home in October 2012

A father whose wife and five children were killed in a house fire 10 years ago said he still has "hope" the people who torched his home will be caught.

Dr Abdul Shakoor's wife Dr Sabah Usmani, sons Muneeb, nine, and Rayyan, six, and daughter Hira, 12, died in the fire at their Harlow home in 2012.

Son Sohaib, 11, and daughter Maheen, three, died in hospital.

Dr Shakoor was speaking after a remembrance service to mark the anniversary of their deaths.

It was held at Harlow Islamic Centre on Saturday afternoon.

Dr Abdul Shakoor had come from Pakistan, where he now lives, to attend the memorial service for his family in Harlow

Dr Shakoor, who now lives in Pakistan, said it was "absolutely important" to mark the loss of his family and to "share reflections with the whole community" who had organised the service.

"I obviously had a difficult time, 10 years ago on this day," he said, adding that his "loving wife was my best friend".

The doctor said his children "really loved living here, we had a very good community".

"It's really difficult, I cannot forget the time in the night when it happened," said Dr Shakoor.

He added his faith and "really great support from the community" had kept him going.

Dr Shakoor said he had a meeting with police on Friday and was pleased they were continuing to investigate the murders.

Prayers were held at the cemetery where five members of Dr Abdul Shakoor's family are buried

"I'm a strong believer in hope and that at some point, we will get the answers," he said.

He also made an appeal for any witnesses to come forward and share information with the police.

Detectives leading the investigation into the murders said there remained "facts in this case that don't add up".

The blaze started downstairs in the Barn Mead property while the family were asleep upstairs in October 2012.

Dr Shakoor jumped from a bedroom window in an attempt to get help for his family but was unable to save them.

He suffered severe smoke inhalation. Police believe the fire was started deliberately by burglars.

Dr Shakoor spoke at a special service in Harlow marking the 10th anniversary of the fatal blaze

Det Ch Insp Louise Metcalfe, of Essex Police, said there were a number of key aspects in the case police were still seeing answers to.

They included:

• A white male thought to be in his 20s was seen cycling away from the area. He has not come forward and police want to speak with him

• Dr Shakoor's laptop, which had a two-pin plug, was taken and has never been found. Police want to locate it

• A paper note about the fire was left in a Boots store in Harlow some time afterwards. Police want to speak with its author

• Some days after the deaths an anonymous caller rang Essex Police about the fire. Detectives want to know who that person was.

"My role now is to review everything to understand if there are any stones we have not turned," said Det Ch Insp Metcalfe.

"It is unusual for a burglar to set alight a property afterwards - there are facts in this case that don't add up yet, which is why it is unresolved, sadly."

Det Ch Insp Louise Metcalfe said the scale of the Barn Mead fire deaths was "unheard of in the UK"