Two little Blackpool boys without parents and warnings over e-bike batteries will continue
PLUS: The inevitability and procession of the Multiversity public inquiry
Hello and welcome to our Sunday edition of The Blackpool Lead.
Our lead story today focuses on the death of Blackpool couple Joshua Pearson and Danielle Bamber in July - leaving behind two children, one of whom was rescued from the fatal fire by a brave neighbour.
Reporters at inquests can be challenging for those closest to those who have passed. In this instance, because it tells us something direct about the cause of the fire that needs further action. But also it tells us something about the safety of privately-rented property in Blackpool.
There’ll be much more on that in the full report to follow below but it is also worth mentioning the online speculation in the aftermath of this incident. None of it is necessary to repeat here - but some of it was less than respectful and our coverage, we hope, has helped to establish the facts.
Our reporter was the only one to attend the whole of the inquest at Blackpool Town Hall - and the same can be said of the Multiversity public inquiry that ran, shortened, across two weeks in November and December. A decision on compulsory purchase orders - or whether Blackpool Council will be able to force people from their homes - won’t be confirmed until January. We have our full report from across two weeks in today’s newsletter too.
All of this has taken diligent and conscientious reporting. We hope you can consider taking a paid subscription to support our work. We know not everyone can - and most of our work will remain free to access, and ad-free, for that reason.
In the early hours of July 17, a rush of 999 calls went in as a huge fire broke out inside a terraced Blackpool home.
CCTV footage recording the outside of the house showed several flashing lights with bangs and crackles before two loud bangs occurred and smoke began to appear.
In the ensuing panic, one neighbour smashed an opening in the glass of the Peter Street home’s front door and managed to pull a young boy to safety while others including a nurse worked together to keep him safe.
Another child would soon be brought out safe and well by firefighters. Those crews arrived within just minutes of the first 999 call, which included the terrified pleas of a woman who warned of the large fire and the belief that people were still inside.
Tragically, even that quick arrival was not enough to save the lives of parents Danielle Bamber and Joshua Pearson.
On Thursday (December 5), members of Danielle’s and Joshua’s families gathered at Blackpool Town Hall to hear from police, fire service and medical representatives at a joint inquest.
That inquest heard that Preston-born Danielle and Joshua, originally from Huddersfield, lived together in the house with their children and had previously had run-ins with neighbours which included “violence and criminal damage”.
While this initially prompted concern among detectives investigating the death, and led to rumours online in the aftermath, it quickly became apparent nobody else was involved and an unsafe e-bike battery was to blame for the fire.
An investigation by forensic scientist Paola Ponticelli concluded that the fire broke out suddenly from e-bike battery packs which were being stored in the living room.
Analysis of Joshua’s phone showed he was involved in the buying, selling and repairing of cars and e-bikes, with “clear evidence” he had been tampering with batteries and that he had had issues with one bike in particular.
Ms Ponticelli said a search of the house found several bikes being stored inside the living and dining area, and that copper discharges found in the most damaged area pointed towards a lithium battery having exploded.
Summing up one piece of evidence, Mr Wilson said: “Joshua had a hobby where he would buy and sell e-bikes.
“He would do them from home and stored the bikes in the dining room. Danielle didn’t like this and asked him to keep them outside but he continued to do so.”
Fires involving these types of batteries are known to start suddenly and dramatically, which meant Danielle likely succumbed to smoke inhalation very quickly. Tragically she had already died when firefighters found her while extinguishing the fire downstairs.
Meanwhile, Joshua was found lying unconscious in the bathroom doorway upstairs and although he was taken to hospital, he could not be saved.
The safety of those lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes remains a major concern. At the outset of the hearing, senior coroner Alan Wilson referenced a similar tragedy which occurred in July 2023 and saw 74-year-old Bobby Lee die in an early morning fire, in North London, which started due to an overcharged lithium-ion e-bike battery which had no effective battery management system. The latter part of that sentence was repeated almost word for word in the joint inquest of Danielle and Joshua.
In the case of Mr Lee, assistant coroner Ian Potter sent a Prevention of Future Deaths Report to the government’s Office for Product Safety and Standards, requiring action to be taken.
Mr Wilson said he had read that report in preparation for this hearing and felt the response was substantial enough for him not to need to issue such a report himself.
However, he did say he planned to write a letter of concern to Blackpool Council about the lack of smoke alarms in the property. As the home was privately rented, the landlord was legally obliged to ensure there was one working alarm on each floor of the home. Despite this, there were none.
Mr Wilson agreed with the fire service’s conclusion that the speed of the outbreak of the fire meant that working alarms would “probably” have made no difference to the outcome, but was still a significant issue that merited investigation.
He said: “I’ll be writing to Blackpool Council about that issue relating to the alarms. It’s a private rented property but I will be writing to the council about that as a matter of concern.”
Concluding the inquest, Mr Wilson said the fire was a result of over-charging and a “deficient battery management system”.
He said: “I’m confident that from the available evidence that the batteries were very likely to be the cause of the fire and I’m absolutely clear that this is not an incident that should have led to any criminal proceedings.”
Mr Wilson recorded conclusions of accidental death.
The right to a home vs investment in the battle for Blackpool's Multiversity site
Blackpool’s £65m multiversity development is described as being a key part of the town’s regeneration plans. Designed to offer a “a world class learning facility”, the plan aims to attract more students, improve prospects for locals and create better links with businesses.
It is the latest phase in major plans to bring investment and employment opportunities to Blackpool, which also include the building of Sainsbury’s and Bickerstaffe House, which houses the council, the tramway extension and Holiday Inn, and the redevelopment of The Hop Inn, now a dental practice along with the building of DWP offices next door. and the building next door of new offices, due to open in March, for the Department of Work and Pensions.
To enable those ambitious plans, homes and businesses living on a parcel of land between Cookson Street, Milbourne Street, George Street and Grosvenor Street, right next to the town centre and within the Talbot Gateway development area, will be demolished.
Want a warmer home without the cost? Cosy Homes in Lancashire has secured £80m in government funding to help people like you improve their homes–improvements that are not just good for your pocket, but good for the planet too. Take a look at what’s available today.
Storm Darragh hit Blackpool on Saturday with a rare amber warning issued for the Fylde Coast.
It probably wasn’t the best day for it - but notable among the impacts was the temporary closure of Christmas by the Sea. It is hoped that it will be back open on Sunday, but a Met Office yellow wind warning for wind isn’t expected to abate until 6pm, so that’s far from a sure thing.
Blackpool’s home fixture with Rotherham was also postponed as a result of the weather.
Thank you for reading The Blackpool Lead. We’ll be back with you on Wednesday - paying subscribers can continue below for our look at the week ahead and recommendations on what to do and enjoy in Blackpool’s arts, culture and what’s on scene…
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