Cigarette ‘caused Bridlington blaze which killed three children’

The victims - William Beal, nine, Antony Fothergill, five, and three-year-old Maddie Hudson - died after they were overcome by smoke and fumes.

Their 27-year-old mother Samantha Hudson was left with devastating injuries after she was rescued from the property in Bridlington and resuscitated at the scene.

Today, Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire Coroner Geoff Saul recorded that all three children died accidentally.

The court was told that their mother had been to her sister’s birthday party and began drinking at lunchtime on November 11 last year. She visited several more pubs during the day and returned to her property at 11pm.

She sat on the floor of the living room and continued drinking and smoking with friend David Hall and her brother Mark Hudson.

The two men left the mid-terrace, four bedroom property and it is thought Mrs Hudson then fell asleep on the floor of the living room against an armchair.

Fire investigators concluded that a discarded cigarette smouldered for a period of time before igniting clothing, possibly school uniforms, which had been left in the room under a bay window.

The curtains then caught fire and quickly engulfed the furniture in the room, including armchairs and a television set and unit.

Fire investigator Steve Henry told the inquest: “I concluded that a carelessly discarded cigarette was the most likely cause of the fire.

“Samantha was sat in the living room, possibly asleep. She was woken by the fire or smoke alarm and went upstairs to aid her children.

“She gathered her children on the second floor bedroom. It was in this room that the firefighters found the family huddled together.”

Mr Henry ruled out an electrical fault or candles and Humberside Police ruled out any suspicious or criminal act which may have caused the blaze.

Coroner Mr Saul added: “The loss of these three very young children can only be described as tragic. It is a word often used but it is a word which can only be used in these circumstances.”

He told the family: “These are often very difficult occasions and the evidence can be harrowing. All I can offer is my own condolences to you for the very tragic loss of three young lives.”

Yesterday, the grandmother of the three children revealed her own daughter has no quality of life after suffering devastating injuries in the blaze.

Sharon Hudson had to be comforted after she revealed her daughter had been starved of oxygen following the blaze.

Her daughter spent months in hospital before being moved to a rehabilitation centre near Goole where she continues to receive treatment. She was unable to attend the funeral of her children.

The family declined to comment at the end of the inquest.