Neighbours speak of 'raging inferno' at Albion Street house fire

A 29-year-old woman was taken into custody after the incident, which saw fire rip through a property in Albion Street at around 9pm on Wednesday.

The 62-year-old victim, named locally as Albion Street resident Michael Redpath, died from injuries sustained when the blaze destroyed the building.

Police and fire crews were called to the terraced property, near Faringdon Park, after neighbour Neil Wiles spotted smoke pouring out of the upstairs window of the house.

Neil, who called the fire brigade after his partner saw the smoke just after 9pm, alerted neighbours to the danger and tried to help the victim escape.

“I could hear him, I could hear him in the upstairs room,” he said.

“I don’t know whether it was him or if it was the heat but the glass of the window broke and the blinds fell into the street.

“I tried to break down the door so I could get in to get him and get him out but I just couldn’t open the door.

“I smashed the window in the door to try and get in but those doors are very difficult. Even the fire brigade had to cut it since the thing they use to break through doors wasn’t enough.”

When firefighters arrived, Neil stood back and tried to stop the neighbours from returning into their own houses.

He said: “They are all terraced properties and the fire was getting into the roof so they were all worried it was going to spread.

“The first thing the fire fighters did when they arrived was to put a hose through the top window and through the window in the door before they broke in.

“It was all really surreal.”

But he said his fear at the initial discovery faded as he tried to help others.

“It was a raging inferno,” said Neil.

“Everyone was really scared and frightened but the thought didn’t really cross my mind. I just wanted to make sure everyone was safe.

“My partner saw what she thought was smoke coming out of the upstairs window of the house and I ran to see what was going on.”

While fire crews dealt with the incident, neighbours on either side of the street were evacuated by police and the road was closed off.

The scene was expected to remain cordoned off until investigations were completed, although residents still have access.

Julie Preen, who lives near the house, said she was shocked at what had happened.

“There was so much black smoke,” said the 53-year-old, who works in cash administration at Tesco.

“I got home at about 5.30pm but I didn’t hear anything.

“It was about 8.30pm when I heard lots of banging out in the street. I looked out of the window and I saw that the house was on fire.

“There was black smoke pouring out of the upstairs window.

“There were quite a lot of people gathering outside too.

“It was a bit frightening. It made me feel sick actually. It was shocking. It’s not something you expect.

“When they brought him out and started to do CPR and everything, I felt awful and I had to go inside.

“I didn’t know him but it’s horrible what has happened.”

Wiltshire Fire and Rescue arrived at the scene of the blaze at 9.12pm, where they found the house well alight.

Three crews - from Swindon, Westlea and Stratton - attended the scene and were able to reach Mr Redpath, who was found on the first floor.

He was taken to the Great Western Hospital by the South Western Ambulance Service, but later died as a result of his injuries.

A post-mortem was expected to take place yesterday.

Wiltshire Police arrived on the scene shortly after, as Wiltshire Fire and Rescue asked for their assistance following reports of a suspected arson attack.

Detective Chief Inspector Sean Memory, who is leading the investigation, said: “We would like to hear from anyone who may have information that would assist us.

“I would like to thank many of the local residents who have come forward to speak to us, but if think you have information and haven’t spoken to police, we would urge you to get in touch.

“We are particularly interested if you saw anyone acting suspiciously earlier in the day, in and around Albion Street.”

Wiltshire Fire and Rescue believe that the fire started on the ground floor and fire fighters used four breathing apparatus wearers used one main jet and one hose reel jet to tackle the fire.

Fire investigators are working with colleagues from Wiltshire Police to establish the cause of the blaze.

The Criminal Investigation Department with the police spent much of the night gathering evidence while Wiltshire Fire and Rescue made the house safe.

Once the property was cool enough crime scene investigators spent much of the day(sept11) scouring the property for clues.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Wiltshire Police via 101 or if you wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A 29-year-old woman arrested on Wednesday night on suspicion of murder in connection with the incident remained in police custody when the Adver went to press.

A tragic life that came to a tragic end

SUSPECTED murder victim Michael Redpath led a tragic life blighted by booze, flitting in and out of prison and with convictions for more than 20 alcohol-related offences.

The Swindon Advertiser’s earliest record of the former Honda forklift truck driver was when he appeared in Swindon Magistrates Court in 2001.

The court was told how he had been banned from driving for 10 years in 1993 as a result of his drinking problem.

He appeared there after punching a woman who offered him a lift home from a Wanborough pub in a booze-fuelled attack, for which he was jailed for four months.

In 2010, he was the first man to be banned from his home village, after he was barred from Wanborough for five years after his alcoholism affected his relationship with neighbours.

The anti-social behaviour order followed a string of offences, including damage to cars and property, as well as assault, dating back to at least 2003.

Paul Johnson, a former neighbour or Mr Redpath, said in May 2010: “His behaviour was a pain more than anything else because you couldn’t go anywhere and enjoy yourself because you always have a concern that he is going to damage something.

“But we are not the only people who have suffered, others have been threatened, assaulted or had their cars smashed.

“People from all over have tried to help him in different ways but he carries on.”

Later in 2012 he was also banned from the town centre for two years.

Michael - known as Mick - was not known well by many of his neighbours but was a familiar face in the area.

Neil Wiles, who called the fire brigade when he was made aware of the fire, said: “He was a drunk, and he was always falling over all over the place and could be a bit of a nuisance.

“But he was still a human being, with all his problems, and in death deserves as much respect as anyone else.”