Stafford house fire: Mother and father arrested after children die

The mother and father of four young children who died in a 'gas explosion' at their terraced home have been arrested for gross negligence manslaughter. 

Natalie Unitt, 24, and her partner Chris Moulton, 28, leapt from the first-floor window with their youngest child, Jack, two, after the inferno broke out on Tuesday.

The couple's sons, Olly, three, and Keegan, six, died alongside their daughter Tilly, four, and Miss Unitt's eldest child, Riley, eight, who was from an earlier relationship. 

Mr Moulton is understood to have received treatment for burns and Ms Unitt for smoke inhalation - injuries which were believed to be non-life-threatening. 

Parents Natalie Unitt and Chris Moulton sit behind children killed in fire (left to right) Tilly, who was four, Keegan, who was six, Olly, who was three, and Riley, who was eight. The picture is from 2016 before they had baby Jack, now two, who survived the blaze with his parents

Parents Natalie Unitt and Chris Moulton sit behind children killed in fire (left to right) Tilly, who was four, Keegan, who was six, Olly, who was three, and Riley, who was eight. The picture is from 2016 before they had baby Jack, now two, who survived the blaze with his parents

Left to right: Keegan Unitt, six, Tilly Rose Unit, four, Olly Unitt, three, and Riley Holt, died in the blaze in Stafford in the early hours of yesterday morning

Left to right: Keegan Unitt, six, Tilly Rose Unit, four, Olly Unitt, three, and Riley Holt, died in the blaze in Stafford in the early hours of yesterday morning

The children's mother has been named locally as mother-of-five Natalie Unitt

Ms Unitt and her partner Chris Moulton (pictured together) are being treated in hospital with one child

The children's mother is Natalie Unitt. She and her partner Chris Moulton (right) were treated in hospital after escaping the fire by jumping out of a window

Firefighters, police and ambulance crews scrambled to the house in Stafford at around 2.40am, on Tuesday. 

Witnesses reportedly heard mum-of-five Natalie screaming: 'My babies, my babies!' as the fire tore through the family home.

Staffordshire Police confirmed the man and woman were arrested at 1.30pm today. 

Part of the roof collapsed, with the windows smashed and the inside appearing to have been blackened by smoke.

A fundraising page set up for the family of the four children has since reached over £28,500 - with more than 1,800 people donating money.

A spokeswoman for South Staffordshire Coroner's Court said the post-mortem examinations of the four children have not yet been completed but their file had been passed to the coroner.

Emotional tributes have been paid to the youngsters, with teachers describing them as 'bright, happy, loving and lively'.

 Firefighters and police officers formed a guard of honour for the children as they were removed from the scene in Stafford by private ambulances

 Firefighters and police officers formed a guard of honour for the children as they were removed from the scene in Stafford by private ambulances

Police say four children died in the blaze and two adults, believed to be the children's parents, were rushed to hospital along with another child

In a statement, Staffordshire Police said: 'Officers from Staffordshire Police have made two arrests this afternoon following a house fire in Stafford on Tuesday. 

'Following an update from investigators into the

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