‘DOTING’ DAD AND FIVE CHILDREN FEARED DEAD IN FARMHOUSE FIRE TRAGEDY
AFATHER and five young children are believed to have died when a blaze tore through a farmhouse.
Dyfed-Powys Police said the children, aged between four and 11, were killed in the fire at the remote property at Llangammarch Wells, Powys.
A neighbour raised the alarm shortly after midnight on Monday and three children, aged 13, 12, and 10, managed to escape unharmed.
The man who died has been named locally as David Cuthbertson, who was known as Dave and thought to be in his 60s. Neighbours said he “doted” on the children.
Superintendent Jon Cummins, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: “Based on current information available to us, we are working on the hypothesis that one adult male and five children, aged between four and 11 years old, are unaccounted for and believed to be deceased within the house.
“Due to the severity of damage at the scene we are unable at this stage to identify any of the deceased.”
Supt Cummins said the cause of the fire was being investigated but currently remained “unexplained”.
“Dyfed-Powys Police is continuing to investigate and deal with the tragic house fire that occurred at Poityn Farm, Llangammarch Wells, Powys, shortly after midnight on Monday, October 30,” he said.
“Specialist scientists and fire investigators continue to assess the scene, which is very complex and perilous.
“The 13, 12 and 10-year-old children that managed to escape remain in hospital. None are in a life-threatening condition, and they are being supported by specialist officers and family.”
The officer’s statement continued: “At this time we are treating the cause of the fire as unexplained.
“The family are our priority and they are being kept informed and fully supported by specialist officers.
“They have asked that their privacy is respected at this extremely difficult and traumatic time and do not wish to be contacted in any way.
“They would also like to thank friends and locals for their support, sympathies and all kindness shown to them.
“Our officers and all our partners such as the fire service are working in extremely challenging conditions and circumstances, and I thank and commend them for their efforts.
“This is a tragic incident, and our deepest sympathies are with the family and all those affected.”
A team of fire and rescue search dogs and other fire brigade personnel arrived at the scene earlier to begin investigations.
Flowers and tributes have been left near the scene of the devastating blaze and a fundraising page on the JustGiving website had by last night received donations totalling more than £12,000.
One little girl left a heartbreaking note at the scene of the house fire saying: “I will miss my best friend.”
The girl, aged around six or seven, held her mother’s hand as she laid the handwritten letter with a drawing of a loveheart and a kiss.
The note was placed on the wall of the driveway leading up to the devastated farmhouse. The letter said “I miss you all. “I knew you all in school. “I will miss my best friend.” She also placed a teddy bear, which wore a necklace with the word “friends”, next to the letter.
In another floral tribute left at the site, someone wrote: “Such a terrible tragedy, special thoughts to family and friends.”
Family friend Barry Smith wrote on Facebook: “The devastating news of the fire in Llangammarch Wells, I knew Dave for around 14 yrs... I can’t & won’t get over it .... rest in peace Dave & all the little ones that died with you.”
Writing on the JustGiving site, Colin Ashton wrote: “Very very sad. I knew David from the early 1990s when he was the main person to restore our barn in West Sussex. A really nice man and a real family man and an excellent builder.”
Locals said Mr Cuthbertson, who
lived in the area for decades, had around 17 children.
They described he had at least two further relationships following the end of his second marriage to his wife Judith, who now lives in Greece.
A local business owner, who did not wish to be named, said: “He was very close to his children from his second marriage, who lived nearby. “It is such a dreadful tragedy.” She had known Mr Cuthbertson for 25 years and said he cared for eight children at his farmhouse.
Local MP Chris Davies said it could be days before the deceased could be formally identified.
Mr Davies said: “Shocked and devastated are the only way to describe this. This is a very small rural community.
“It’s a very tight-knit community and something like this anywhere in the country would be bad, but the effects of this will be felt for many years to come.
“The police and emergency services are investigating and I think it could even be a few days before we have the final number of fatalities because the fire was so ferocious.
“As you can see from the photographs the roof is gone and the building was decimated.
“It’s only the four walls standing so we now have to allow the emergency services to get on with their job, which they have done superbly so far.
“Brecon Mountain Rescue Team were scouting the area overnight looking for any further people who may have escaped from the fire.
“There were four ambulances there and of course the police.
“It’s a lovely rural community. It’s a very friendly community. The children were very well known around the community.”
Neighbour Ron Birchall, 73, who lives at the former Aberceiros Inn in the village, said: “He (Mr Cuthbertson) was a great guy. All I can say is that he was a great father who loved his kids and doted on them.”
Mr Birchall said he had known Mr Cuthbertson since he first moved to the village 15 years ago.
“We have been living here since 2002 and when we arrived he was living in a village a couple of miles away and then a year or so later he moved to the village,” he said.
“I used to see him walking around the village or in his vehicle. We saw the kids coming to pick up the bus to school.”
Mr Birchall said he and his wife Rosemary knew nothing about the incident until they woke up in the morning – even though around 20 emergency vehicles had parked at the pub.
“The village is devastated. We didn’t realise anything had happened in the early hours and we didn’t know anything until we got up at 6am,” he said.
Mr Birchall said Mr Cuthbertson was separated from his partner who had moved away after suffering a stroke.
County councillor Tim Van-Rees, who represents the area, spoke of the community’s shock at the devastating loss of life.
“I knew the family, not well, and I knew the father and several of the children,” he said.
“They were a large family, although I am not sure how many were living there.
“It is absolutely shocking and a devastating blow and it is possibly just as well we are in half-term at the moment because the effect on our children and the schools would have been very severe.”
The fundraising page is available at: https://www.justgiving. com/crowdfunding/tragicfiredonation