Mum and kids, 4 & 7, who died in Boxing Day fire are pictured after hero dad was dragged away from blaze by neighbours

Fire crews haven’t been able to get to the second child yet
A MUM who died in a horror house fire alongside her children has been pictured after their hero dad was dragged away from the blaze.

Mum Fionnghuala Shearman, – known as Nu – and her two young children, aged four and seven, tragically died after they were trapped inside the burning property on Boxing Day.

Emergency services scrambled to the scene as the blaze consumed the Cotswold stone cottage in Stroud, Gloucestershire, at about 3am on Friday.

The dad Tom – a serving police officer – managed to escape before heartbreakingly trying to get back into the house in a bid to save his family.

Fashion designer Nu, 38, remained trapped inside with daughter Eve, seven, and son Ohner, four, as tragedy struck over the Christmas period.

It is understood her husband battled through fire and smoke to try to rescue his wife and children, and had to be dragged away by neighbours who feared he too would die in the inferno.

The mum’s body has been recovered but formal identification is yet to take place.

The bodies of the children have sadly not yet been removed from the house as the property is too unstable.

The fire is believed to have started on the ground floor.

It woke up the parents in the early hours of the morning and they frantically tried to reach the back bedroom where the children were sleeping.

The dad – who serves with Gloucestershire Police – is understood to have escaped the fire by “smashing” a bathroom window as the inferno ripped through the home.

He then desperately fought to reach the children by climbing back in through their bedroom window.

But he was beaten back by the “ferocity and heat” of the raging blaze, Detective Inspector Ian Fletcher said.

In another frantic attempt, he tried to re-enter through the bathroom, but by then the fire had “taken hold” and the house was lost to the flames.

In a final attempt he tried to force his way in through the front and back doors – by this point firefighters had arrived on the scene.

The mum is thought to have become trapped in the house.

The extent of the fire has caused the roof of the mid-terrace cottage to fall in, and the ceilings and stairs have collapsed.

A neighbour told The Sun: “It was an absolute inferno. I was woken at about two in the morning by a huge bang. I looked out of the window and could see their house completely on fire.

“When I went outside there were already lots of people out in the street and the emergency services had been alerted.”

The neighbour spoke of the dad’s desperate attempt to rescue his family.

“The dad, Tom, had somehow escaped from the fire and was desperately trying to get back in to rescue his wife and their children.

“He kept trying to get through the front door, despite flames spewing out of it.

“People were grabbing hold of him and pulling him back because if he had got inside, he would have been dead too.

“He was yelling and screaming and trying to break free from the people holding him, but they just wouldn’t let him go.

“Flames were pouring out of the roof, the windows and the front door at this stage. It was uncontrollable.

“I feel so sorry for all of them. His wife was a wonderful woman and the children were little beauties. God bless them all.“

Police officers, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue and paramedics attended the house on Brimscombe Hill in the sleepy area.

The dad was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital for treatment, cops said.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, but is not believed to be suspicious.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Nathaniel Hooton said firefighters worked extremely hard to get in as the fire raged in the house.

There is significant damage to the property internally and work continues to try and find out what started the fire, he said.

“It was extremely challenging and they were faced with a well-developed serious fire on arrival,” he said.

“Trying to make their way into the building, trying to rescue the occupants within that building, and also dealing with everything else that was going on.

“They tried their hardest to get in there and do whatever was necessary, and they continue to work extremely hard to support the recovery of the unfortunate loss of life.”

Detective Superintendent Ian Fletcher added: “This would appear to be a tragic accident that’s occurred in the early hours of Boxing Day.

“The surviving member of this family is a serving police officer at Gloucestershire Constabulary and again our hearts and prayers go out to him and all of his colleagues who know him very well.

“He is working with us to try to understand what exactly has happened within that property.”

Mr Fletcher added: “We have multiple witnesses who describe the anguish that he was going through, his inability to get in and save his children and save his wife.

“He is, as you can imagine, in a very distraught way.

“Sadly, lost his family at a time which is supposed to be a happy festive period.

“We have multiple witnesses who describe the anguish that he was going through, his inability to get in and save his children and save his wife.

“He is, as you can imagine, in a very distraught way.

“Sadly, lost his family at a time which is supposed to be a happy festive period.”

Mrs Shearman ran bespoke handbag manufacturer Hide & Hammer making fashion accessories from leather and canvas fabric.

Dr Simon Opher, Labour MP for Stroud, said the fire is “really shocking at Christmas time”.

“It’s just really tragic for our local community,” he said.

“I know at these sort of times Stroud really pulls together and supports neighbours, and anyone who knew the people in the house.”

A spokesman for the Gloucestershire Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said: “This is an unimaginable tragedy to have struck a colleague and their family and our hearts are broken for them.

“It is impossible for us all to properly comprehend and come to terms with what has happened.

“The Federation are offering as much support as is possible to our colleague at this deeply saddening time.

“We are also supporting devastated colleagues and teammates of the officer concerned.

“We know the whole police family across the UK – indeed the whole of the UK – will be offering their condolences.

“And we thank those who have already passed on their thoughts and support. It is appreciated.”