3 people, including a child, die in house fire at converted rail station, Rushton, Kettering - March 2025

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

This started off as a tragic fire in an old converted railway station & got a serious turn for the worse.

Initial BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) report

Three die after fire at Grade II listed building

Three people have died after a house fire at a converted railway station.

Emergency services were called to the blaze at the Grade II-listed property in Rushton, near Kettering, Northamptonshire, at about 22:30 GMT on Friday.

Northamptonshire Police said three people - who have not been identified - later died. Three police officers needed hospital assessment after breathing in smoke.

The blaze, in Beswick Close, was next to the rail line and affected train services to London St Pancras on Saturday.

Villagers told the BBC they had been "traumatised" by the tragedy.

One said: "From our drive we [could] see flames.

"The house was on fire, it was all on fire, but we didn't know if anybody was in it.

"Everybody is very sad. They're very distraught."

Mike Brightman, vice chairman of Rushton Parish Council, said: "It's a very sad day for the village, losing some of our residents in such a horrific way."

In a post on X the MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post - a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London, depending on context) for Kettering, Rosie Wrighting, said: "I am saddened by this tragic fire and my thoughts are with the family and friends of those involved and everyone in the Rushton community.

"Thank you to the emergency services who attended the scene."



A fire investigation has begun.

Trains were affected earlier by the fire, which was next to the line between Kettering and Market Harborough, including some services between Sheffield and London St Pancras.

The house was previously the Glendon and Rushton railway station before it was converted for residential use.

It was granted Grade II listed status in 1981.

This morning's report from the BBC

Murder arrest after man, woman and girl die in fire

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after three people, including a four-year-old girl, died in a house fire at a converted railway station.

Emergency services were called to the Grade II-listed property in Rushton, near Kettering, at about 22:30 GMT on Friday.

Northamptonshire Police has confirmed the other two people who died were a 23-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman. The victims' next of kin have been informed.

The arrested man, 54, from Kettering, was held on Saturday and remains in police custody.

"This is a heartbreaking situation," said senior investigating officer Det Ch Insp Ruby Burrow, of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit.

"My thoughts, and those of everyone involved in responding to this fire, are with the people who died and those who love them," she added.

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service sent crews from across the county to the scene. They remained there throughout Saturday.

Specialist fire investigators and investigation dogs are at the property to help police establish the cause of the fire.

"Due to the intensity of the fire we are managing a very challenging and dangerous scene, and are working to safely and respectfully recover the deceased to enable formal identification to take place," added Det Ch Insp Burrow.

"An incredibly thorough and complex investigation is underway to make sure we get the answers that loved ones need and deserve."

Villagers told the BBC they had been "traumatised" by the tragedy, with one saying "everyone is very sad".

At a media conference on Sunday, Ch Insp Paul Cash said: "This investigation is well under way but remains in its early stages, and it will take time to fully establish what has happened.

"We know this incident has caused significant distress locally and our officers will remain in the area to provide reassurance and help where we can."

Drone pictures show a large hole burned through the roof of the building, which is a 19th Century former station master's house at the now-closed Glendon and Rushton railway station.

According to the Historic England website, it has been a Grade II-listed building since 1981, and is now believed to be a residential property.

'Tragic'

After Friday's fire, one person was taken to hospital by the East Midlands Ambulance Service. Three police officers also needed to be checked in hospital after breathing in smoke.

Mike Brightman, vice chairman of Rushton Parish Council, said it had been a "very sad day for the village, losing some of our residents in such a horrific way".

The MP for Kettering, Rosie Wrighting, said she was "saddened by this tragic fire" and said her thoughts were with the "family and friends of those involved and everyone in the Rushton community".

[eXPassenger]

The man has now been released with 'no further action' according to police.

[grahame]

The man has now been released with 'no further action' according to police.

That is a very important update indeed

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyq414d9g2o

A man arrested on suspicion of murder after three people, including a four-year-old girl, died in a house fire at a converted railway station has been released without charge.

At the early stages of an investigation, all possibilities need to be considered and where there's even a remote possibility of something as serious as it being a murder scene, that must be looked into and in a way that is safe for everyone, even if it means that someone who's later adjudged to be innocent gets held initially.   We do not know how this case / the reason for the fire will go on.   Thoughts with the friends and families of those who died.

[Ralph Ayres]

It's a pity there isn't a better way to deal with it that covers things from a legal viewpoint allowing statements given to be used as evidence and so on but doesn't appear to point a finger of suspicion - the memory of which will linger online and possibly more widely long afterwards - at someone who is probably traumatised by the event.  I'm put in mind of a friend whose wife went missing suffering depression and was found dead, who was immediately arrested on suspicion of her murder but later exonerated.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Sadly, there is no ideal way to deal with any such tragic events.

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Woman arrested after baby boy found dead by church



A woman has been arrested after a newborn baby boy was found dead in a carrier bag outside a west London church.

The boy's body was discovered inside a Marks & Spencer bag outside All Saints' Church, off Talbot Road, in Notting Hill last Tuesday.

The woman, believed to be the baby's mother, was detained on Saturday on suspicion of concealing a birth, neglect and infanticide, the Metropolitan Police said.

Supt Owen Renowden said she had been taken to hospital to "receive the support she needs while officers continue their work to understand what took place".

Over the last week, NHS and local council officials joined the police investigation into the boy's death, which helped lead to the arrest.

The force said that arrests in these cases were necessary so that officers could investigate the circumstances surrounding the baby's death.

A post-mortem examination is due to take place later this week, but officers remain open-minded about what happened, the Met said.

Supt Renowden, who leads policing for the area, said: "This is an ongoing, fast-paced investigation, with officers working tirelessly to ascertain the circumstances of the baby boy's death.  I recognise that the news of this arrest may cause concern among our community, but when dealing with investigations of this nature our priority is to ensure the welfare of all involved and ensure that all lines of inquiry are fully explored."  He added that the force was still appealing for anyone who has information about what happened to come forward.