Derby fire parents held

The public has come forward with "additional information that has been extremely useful" to officers investigating an arson attack on a house which killed six children, police said.

An appeal for information was made yesterday after police arrested the parents of the children on suspicion of murder. The pair remain in custody.

Police have been given another 12 hours to question the parents of six children killed in an arson attack on their home.

Mick Philpott and his wife Mairead were arrested yesterday morning on suspicion of murder in connection with the blaze at the semi-detached house in Victory Road, Allenton, Derby, on May 11.

Today Derbyshire Police confirmed they had been granted a 12-hour extension by a superintendent to continue questioning until 10pm tonight.

The parents of six children killed in an arson attack at their home continue to be questioned by police after they were arrested on suspicion of murder.

Mick Philpott and his wife Mairead were arrested in Derby city centre on Tuesday in connection with the blaze at the house on May 11.

The parents of six children killed in an arson attack on their home were staying at a hotel in Derby.

Mick Philpott, 55, and his wife Mairead, 31, were staying at the Premier Inn after the fire at their house in Victory Road, Allenton, Derby, on May 11.

Jade Philpott, 10, and brothers John, nine, Jack, seven, Jessie, six, and Jayden, five, all perished in the blaze, while Duwayne Philpott, 13, died of his injuries in Birmingham Children's Hospital two days' later.

Their parents were arrested on suspicion of murder in Derby city centre by police this morning.

Derbyshire Police said a 55-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman from Derby were arrested this morning but did not name them.

Anthony Slater, who runs the community charity OSCAR, said the community had raised £10,800 to date for the funerals of six children who were killed in an arson attack on their home.

Father Alan Burbidge, Parish Priest at St George's in Normanton, Derby, said he was "shocked" by the news that the parents of six children killed in an arson attack on their home have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

ITV Correspondent Rupert Evelyn, in Derby, said: "Police officers are moving the flowers and the tributes that were left for the six children who died. They are being moved to a nearby church because of the threat of rain.

"That's been done with the permission of Mr and Mrs Philpott, say the police.

"As they remove them though the police are looking very closely at each of the written tributes to see what they say ."

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cotterill said "please do not see these two arrests as the police inquiry coming to an end" and appealed to the public for additional information.

He said: "I need additional information from the public out there to really get to the truth to what was the reason behind that fire - whilst I know the cause I do not know the reason behind it and I'm still anxious for that information to come forward."

Mick and Mairead Philpott were arrested in "Derby city centre," Police said.

Mick Philpott, 55, and his wife Mairead, 31, broke down in tears at a press conference two weeks ago, just days after their six children were killed in an arson attack on their home.