Boy, 7, found dead after 'suspicious' blaze

A seven-year-old boy has died in a "suspicious" house fire in south-east London.

Two women had to jump to safety from the first floor of the house in Adolphus Street, Deptford, in the early hours of Tuesday.

About 35 firefighters were sent to the scene and found a "very severe fire" raging in the property, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.

The boy's body was found inside. Police have launched an arson investigation.

The Met said it was working with fire investigators and had "deemed the fire as suspicious".

Neighbours have spoken of their shock at the boy's death.

A family friend, who asked not to be named, described the boy's mother as "an angel" who "would come to anyone's aid".

"She doesn't deserve this. She's so nice," she said.

Wale Arthur, 39, said he had last seen the boy at a barbecue on Friday and described him as a "very happy lad."

Fire crews were called shortly before 03:30 BST and it took more than 75 minutes to bring the flames under control.

Clive Stagg, who lives in a nearby flat, said he had rushed to the house after hearing a woman screaming and discovered "all hell was breaking loose".

"I have never seen anything like it. The whole house was ablaze," he said.

Kayla McClellan lives next door to the family and said that as she tried to leave her house "a wall of fire came through the front and we immediately closed it and went out through the back".

The two women were taken to hospital by paramedics. Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

The ground floor of the house was badly damaged by the blaze, as well as the whole of the first floor and the stairs from the ground to the first floor.

Surrounding homes were evacuated as a precaution. LFB said the cause of the fire was "under investigation".