Police quiz drivers in hunt for blaze killer

A triple murder investigation was launched on Saturday after Thomas Sharkey Snr, 55, died in hospital, following the blaze last weekend in Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute.

His 21-year-old son, Thomas Sharkey Jnr, was killed in the blaze last Sunday, and daughter Bridget, eight, died shortly after arriving at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.

Their mother Angela Sharkey, 46, is still critically ill in hospital, and is not aware that her husband and children are dead.

Between 4am and 6am yesterday, exactly one week after the blaze, officers from Strathclyde Police stopped approximately 95 vehicles around the family’s home at Scott Court.

Det Insp Graham Cordner, from the inquiry team, said: “We received an encouraging response from motorists and we will be following up each piece of information given to us.”

He reiterated police fears that someone, out of misplaced loyalty, may be protecting the killer and he urged them to look at their conscience and call police.

Announcing that Mr Sharkey had died at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Chief Insp Fergus Byrne said: “This is yet another devastating and heart-breaking blow for Mrs Sharkey, who at this time remains critically ill in hospital, unaware of the tragic loss of now her husband and children, Thomas and Bridget.

“The wider family and community will be horrified at the death of Tommy who was so well known throughout the town.”

Mr Byrne said the community was “angry and fearful” and stressed that extra police officers would be deployed to the Helensburgh area for the foreseeable future.

He added: “We do however need to convert that anger into something positive and people who have information about this dreadful crime need to start talking directly to us and giving us the evidence we need to get justice for the family.”