Boy, 12, killed in fuel fire

Boy, 12, killed in fuel fire

Investigators are at the end-of-terrace house

Police have named a teenager from south Wales who was killed in a fire which left his schoolfriend with serious burns.

Gwent Police said on Saturday they believed that 12-year-old Richard Hawrot suffered fatal injuries in a fire which started as he tried to refuel a scooter in the back yard of his friend's house in Newport.

The house in Jones Street, in the Stow Hill area of Newport belonged to the family of 13-year-old Tobias Mills, who was severely injured in the fire.

Police believe that one of the boys may have used a cigarette lighter to help them see what they were doing in the darkness.

The fuel caught light and the children were trapped in the courtyard-style back garden.

Richard suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tobias suffered serious burns and was taken to the specialist burns unit at Morriston Hospital, Swansea,. His condition is believed to be serious.

Fire crews

Both boys were are pupils at St Julian's School in Newport and lived within a few streets of each other.

The emergency services were called to the scene at 2000 GMT on Friday.

It took firefighters an hour to bring the blaze under control.

Neighbours said Tobias Mills - who had only recently moved to the street - managed to get into the house and made his way to a front window.

They helped pull him out, but were unable to get into the back yard to reach Richard Hawrot.

A Gwent Police spokesman said: "We offer our condolences to the families of the victims."

Councillor John Marsh, who represents the Stow Hill ward on Newport City Council, said he was shocked at the tragedy.

"This is a very sad happening. As a representative for the area I know people will be very upset indeed," he said.

Fellow ward councillor, Miqdad Al Nuaimi, said: "My thoughts are with the families of those children. It is a tragic incident."