Salford fatal fire: Mum out of coma and told of children's deaths

Lia, Demi, Brandon, Lacie and Michelle Pearson

The mother of four children killed in an alleged arson attack is out of a coma after four months and has been told of their deaths, police have said.

Demi Pearson, 15, her brother Brandon, eight, and sisters Lacie, seven, and Lia, three, were killed in the blaze in Walkden, Greater Manchester, last year.

Michelle Pearson is now awake, eating, drinking and making "good progress" but remains in intensive care.

Three people are due to stand trial for four counts of murder on Monday.

Ms Pearson, 36, who had been in a coma since the fire on 11 December, first spoke coherently "a couple of weeks ago", Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

Demi, Brandon and Lacie all died in the blaze while Lia died in hospital two days later.

Demi, Brandon and Lacie all died in the blaze while Lia died in hospital two days later

Emergency services were called to the fire at the family's mid-terraced home in Jackson Street shortly after 05:00 GMT.

Zak Bolland, 23, Courtney Brierley, 20, - both from Walkden - and David Worrall, 26, of no fixed address, have been remanded in custody and are due to stand trial at Manchester Crown Court for carrying out the alleged arson attack.

The trio have denied four counts of murder as well as arson with intent to endanger life, the attempted murder of the children's mother and two further counts of the attempted murder of two juveniles who cannot be named for legal reasons.