FAMILIES on a Wirral housing estate woke to horrific scenes on Sunday morning, following a house fire which left a 40-year-old woman and a teenager dead, and three other people injured.

Experienced firefighters said it was one of the worst blazes they have attended. Damage to the modern end-terrace house was so bad that Home Office forensic officers were called in to investigate arson as the bodies were removed behind green sheeting.

According to fire investigators, there are no suspicious circumstances but a fire brigade spokesman said he hoped people have got the message by now - get a smoke alarm.

Every room in the house in Ivy Lane, Moreton, was damaged. The staircase collapsed as firemen came to the rescue at 1.15am. It was thought a baby was on the premises but it was with relatives.

Police say Lyn Smith and her 17-year-old daughter Jayne died in the fire. The teenager's father Jeff and brother Steven escaped along with another man, Ian Stopforth.

An inquest has opened into the death of a private eye following a house blaze.

The body of Philip Andrew, aged 34, was found in a fire damaged living room at his home at Parkhurst Road, Prenton, in the early hours of the previous Sunday.

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