Police release one of two men arrested over fatal house fire
Police continue to question a 23-year-old man over the fire in which a girl, 7, and her aunt died.
A 31-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder over a fatal house fire in Grangetown, near Middlesbrough, has been released with no further action, according to Cleveland Police. A second man, aged 23, remains under questioning. The victims of the blaze were 34-year-old Natalie McDonald and her seven-year-old niece, Valentina Foster.
McDonald's mother, Lisa Kirton, described her daughter as a "beautiful soul" who would have done anything for anybody. Valentina, known as Tina, had been staying at the house for the summer holidays and was described as a "cute little kid" by Kirton. Cleveland Police stated that the woman, aged 48, was in critical condition in hospital, while three others sustained injuries that were not life-threatening.
Initial updates on Friday afternoon suggested that the police were not linking the fire to a separate crash on the A66, which resulted in the deaths of seven people, including two police officers.
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