Parents’ tribute to ‘beautiful little angel’ as boy, 2, killed in suspected gas blast
THE parents of a toddler who died following a suspected gas explosion yesterday have paid tribute to their “beautiful little angel”.
George Hinds, two, died in the blast in Heysham, Lancashire, leaving his parents “devastated”.
Two others were critically injured. Police were called to the scene at about 2.40am yesterday, to find two houses collapsed and a third seriously damaged.
A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “Very sadly, George Arthur Hinds, aged two years and 10 months, died as a result of the incident. ”
George’s distraught parents, Vicky Studholme and Stephen Hinds, were also injured, although not seriously.
In a tribute released via the police force, they said: “We are devastated at the loss of our beautiful George.
“He was so precious to us. We have no words to describe how we feel and just want time to ourselves to come to terms with what has happened.
Our beautiful little angel grew his wings today.”
Last night, two other people remained in hospital with injuries described as critical.
The emergency services, local authority and partners remained at the site last night and a safety cordon remained in place.
Residents described the noise of the blast as “like a bomb going off”. Debris covered nearby streets and fields.
Lancashire Fire said 10 units had been called to the terraced row and firefighters were searching a collapsed property.
Speaking at the scene, Joe Edwards, Assistant Chief Constable of Lancashire Police, said: “Shortly after 2.40am emergency services were called to residential properties following reports of a large explosion at the address.
“There is significant damage to the houses, at least two have been destroyed and a third is significantly damaged.
“As a consequence of that a number of people have been injured. Tragically, a young child has been killed.
“The information as we know it is there are four persons that have also been injured in the incident, two of which are seriously injured and two
others who remain under medical assessment.”
Ben Norman, the Assistant Chief Fire Officer of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said an investigation into the cause of the blast would be carried out “slowly and methodically”.
“We’ll work to conclude this incident safely and work with support and concern for the community to ensure they can rebuild and go back to their normal lives in due course,” he said.
“Sadly, it means there are a number of people whose homes have been affected and therefore they can’t remain in the area.”
Resident Susan Faulkner, 74, who lives farther down Mallowdale Avenue, said the blast was “like a bomb going off” and that she was still “shaken” by the incident.
“I woke up with this huge bang and I thought someone was breaking into my house,” she said.
“The sound really shook me,
I’m still quite shaken by it. I’ve never experienced that before. It was like a bomb going off, it was that kind of impact.”
Ms Faulkner said her own property and others in the immediate area had been damaged in the “devastating” explosion. “It was quite a blast, I live quite way down there and part of my side door was blown in. My next door neighbour’s plates were smashed,” she said.
“There’s been lots and lots of people and police around and everyone trying to help everybody else.”
Dan Knowles, who lives four streets away from the explosion, said: “My wife and I thought there was an earthquake which woke us, the whole house shook.”
A Gofundme page set up to help Mallowdale Avenue residents had reached more than £25,000 last night.
Heather Brandwood, the manager of two pubs in the area, set up the fundraiser. She said: “People have pulled together as a community, it’s humbling.
“When I woke up this morning, the first thing I felt was shock, sadness, and dismay and then it was a case of talking to my team and seeing what we could do to make it better.”
She said residents were queuing up in the car park of the Hurley Flyer pub to donate clothing and toiletries to evacuated residents.
“We are very conscious that people were evacuated from their homes with immediate effect. We have heard from an elderly couple who left in their pyjamas. There is a woman who is in nothing but her nightie,” she said.
“The public has been fantastic, and they have risen to the challenge. There is a lot of goodwill.”
The police spokesman added: “Gas service engineers are working to make the area safe. People are being asked to avoid the area while we deal with this ongoing incident.”
He was so precious to us. Our beautiful little angel grew his wings today