Leicester shop explosion: Shop blast father felt 'powerless'

A man whose wife and two sons died in an explosion in a Leicester shop felt "powerless" when he saw the devastation.

Jose Ragoobeer has been speaking publicly for the first time since the blast, which claimed the lives of his wife Mary, and sons, Shane and Sean.

Shane's girlfriend Leah Reek, 18, and 22-year-old shop worker Viktorija Ijevleva also died.

Mr Ragoobeer said he was trying to be brave for his surviving son.

• Live coverage of funeral of Mary Ragoobar and her sons Shane and Sean

Mary Ragoobar with her sons Scotty (left), Sean (middle) and Shane (right)

The 58-year-old carer was working at the time of the explosion and received a phone call about a fire at the Polish shop, which his family lived above.

He said: "I went straight [home]. I tried to get nearer [to the site] and the police said 'no you can't go'. You feel powerless because you know it's your family.

"Life is never going to be the same again. You go to bed thinking of the fire engines around the house, it never goes."

The shop and flat on Hinckley Road were both destroyed in the blast killing five people

Mr Ragoobeer said his wife Mary was devoted to her three boys

Mr Ragoobeer's youngest son Scotty, 15, who shared a room with Sean, survived the blast.

"When I went to visit him [in hospital] I asked him 'where was Sean and the others?'

"He said Sean was on his bed, on his phone, [Scotty] was on his PlayStation."

Shane with his girlfriend Leah Reek, who also died in the blast

He said his wife Mary Ragoobar "devoted her life to her boys" and had two jobs to make sure they had what they needed.

He said Shane, 18, was a "diehard Liverpool fan" while Sean, 17, was "responsible and caring".

He said: "Whenever I was late to come home, he would text me 'where are you Dad?'"

Mr Ragoobeer added that Sean wanted to study history and French at university.

Mary Ragoobar, 46, was killed in the blast, along with her sons Sean (left) and Shane (right)

The funerals for Mrs Ragoobar, Shane and Sean took place at Leicester Cathedral on Friday.

Inquests into the deaths of the five victims have been opened and adjourned.

Aram Kurd, 33, Hawkar Hassan, 32, and Arkan Ali, 37, have been charged with arson and manslaughter.

They deny the charges and will appear at Leicester Crown Court in August.