Middlesbrough fire which killed two - including girl - 'may be gangland revenge attack after A66 crash'

Two people - including a child - were killed in a house fire feared to be a gangland revenge attack following the A66 tragedy which left two police officers dead.

Cleveland Police "cannot rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time" following the horrific blaze in which the chlild, thought to be a seven-year-old girl, died on Wednesday.

A 48-year-old woman remains in hospital in a critical condition, and a further three people suffered injuries described as non life threatening.

Two men aged 23 and 31 have been arrested on suspicion of murder and they remain in police custody. The force confirmed that a child had died in the tragedy, though are yet to confirm their age and gender.

Redcar and Cleveland Local Policing Commander, Superintendent Emily Harrison, said: “We continue to work to establish the circumstances of exactly what has happened. But are keeping an open mind and cannot rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time."

Neighbours told how three children were creaming for help from an upstairs window as fire and smoke engulfed the property.

It is believed three adults and three children, two aged 15, were in the end-of-terrace house on Birchington Avenue, Grangetown in Middlesbrough when tragedy struck shortly after 5am.

Officers confirmed they launched a murder investigation just before midday. They later confirmed two arrests were made on suspicion of murder.

They are not ruling out a possible link between the fatal house fire near Middlesbrough and the A66 crash little more than a mile away that killed seven people.

A 20-year-old, who gave her name as Ellie, said: "I heard the children screaming, and I just ran down the road shouting for help.

"Neighbours came out to help. Everyone tried to get them out. I ended up holding the hand of one of the women who got out; she was an older woman. She was just crying and in pain; the ambulance took her away.

"Two girls jumped out of the bedroom window." One eyewitness saw a girl, believed to be seven years old, carried out by a firefighter.

He said: "I woke up at about 5 a.m. because of the noise from the fire engines. I went out and saw the girl being carried out by a firefighter dressed in an orange uniform. Her body was limp, and it looked to me like she was deceased.

"I think that she was staying there overnight, and the woman who lived there was her aunt.