Tributes to fire death brothers

The bodies of Lewis and Taylor Jenkins were found inside the house

A special assembly has been held at the primary school attended by two young brothers who died in a house fire.

Lewis Jenkins, aged seven, and his brother, Taylor, five, were found by firefighters at the terraced house in Milfoil Drive, Eastbourne, on Saturday.

Flowers have been left outside the home of the boys, who were both pupils at nearby Shinewater Primary School.

Head teacher John Greenwood said the assembly was held to help the children come to terms with their deaths.

He said: "I spoke to all the children, just explaining what had happened and that Lewis and Taylor had been killed in the house fire over the weekend.

Trying to explain to a five-year-old that she has lost one of her friends is heartbreaking Mandy Hale

"We then spoke about feelings and that it was okay for the children to be upset and if adults were upset that was okay too."

Neighbour Mandy Hale said the journey to school on Monday morning had been very difficult.

She added: "I saw them every day. It's like part of my life is going to be missing now because I won't see them walking down to the school the same time as me.

"The mood this morning was awful; it was just awful. Trying to explain to a five-year-old that she has lost one of her friends is heartbreaking."

The boys' mother, named by neighbours as Denise Goldsmith, 29, was treated in hospital for minor burns after the fire on Saturday.

Ch Insp Dick Coates said on Sunday that initial indications were that the fire was a tragic accident.

He said officers would be at the scene for several days, and that police would have a clearer idea how the fire had started later.

Post-mortem examinations on the boys have yet to be carried out.