Fund for firefighters' loved ones

Michael Miller (left) and Jeff Wornham died while tackling a fire

A trust fund has been set up for the families of the firefighters who died as they tried to rescue a woman trapped in a tower block blaze.

Michael Millar, 26, of Stevenage, and Jeff Wornham, 28, of Sandon, near Royston, died trying to save Natalie Close, 32, from the fire in Herts.

A 37-year-old man they had already saved from Harrow Court, Silam Road, Stevenage, is now stable in hospital.

On Friday, Herts County Council said a trust fund had been set up.

Public demand

A council spokeswoman said the fire service had been approached by members of the community asking if they could make donations to help the firefighters' families.

The Stevenage Firefighters' Fund has been set up and books of condolence will be placed at the fire service headquarters on Old London Road in Hertford and at Stevenage Borough Council, from 7 February.

Six others, including a family of four with two children, were also taken to hospital following the fire, suffering from minor injuries.

About 70 people were cleared from the building when the blaze started on the 14th floor of the tower block.

On Thursday the borough council said residents would not be able to move back into their homes until the damage to the block was assessed.