UK NEWS

TRIBUTES TO FIRE HEROES

TRAGEDY: Colleagues at Stratford Upon Avon fire station lay flowers in memory of the fallen

Tuesday November 6,2007

By Martin Stote

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A DECISION that sent firemen into the blazing warehouse where four of them died appeared increasingly flawed last night.

As tributes were paid to the firemen, police said all 150 workers based at the vegetable packing plant had been accounted for, implying that none had been in the building.

“I can tell you that there were no immigrants in the building,” said Mike Pearls, a spokesman for Wealmoor Imports which owns the warehouse in Atherstone on Stour, Warwickshire.

“A fire warden was there to meet the firemen and inform them that nobody was inside at the end of shift when the fire was discovered.”

The firefighters who died were Ashley Stephens, 20, Ian Reid, 44, John Averis, 27, and Darren Yates-Badley, 24. Station Commander Paul Stephens left a bouquet at Alcester fire station where he is based and where his son Ashley worked part-time.

A family message read: “Ashley, our most wonderful, precious son, what will we do without you? We love you with all our hearts.”

Darren Yates-Badley was also based at Alcester fire station. His family said in a statement: “We would like to thank everyone for their tributes which have been a great comfort.

We didn’t realise the impact that Darren had on other people’s lives and he is our hero.”