Boy, 12, dies in blaze

A 12-year-old boy has died in a house fire in West Yorkshire. Officers were called by the fire service to a property in Stockbridge, Keighley, at 11.45pm on Saturday night.

Neighbours said the boy had lived in the semi-detached house with his mother and older sister. It is believed he may have been alone in the house at the time.

Forensics officers were working at the house in a cul-de-sac yesterday. Windows on the ground and first floor of the house had been smashed.

A West Yorkshire Police statement said: "A 12-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene and inquiries are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire."

Shanuz Begum, 27, who lives opposite No 54, said she had told fire crews children lived at the house: "When the fire engines arrived I went up to them, because I don't think they knew the boy was in there," she said.

"I said, 'there's kids inside' but it was only the boy in the end. I used to see the mother and the little boy sometimes, but they were very quiet. They kept to themselves.

"This is just devastating, he was only a little child, we're all still in shock."