Grieving father calls for urgent safety measures after e-bike fire killed wife and children

  • Scott Peden told ITV News Anglia of the night he lost his partner and two children in a fatal fire.

A grieving father who lost his partner and two children in a fire a year ago is calling for urgent e-bike safety measures.

Scott Peden, 30, from Cambridge, lost his partner Gemma Germeny, 31, and their children Lilly, eight, and Oliver, four, during a fire caused by an e-bike battery bought online.

The fire left Mr Peden in a coma for a month and with prolonged injuries. The family's two dogs also died in the blaze.

Mr Peden, along with the charity Electrical Safety First, is now calling on all political parties to commit to introducing safety laws to prevent further tragedies.

Both children were rescued from the fire, but later died in hospital. Credit: Scott Peden/PA

Mr Peden said: "June marks one year since I lost my partner and two children in an e-bike fire at my home last summer and life hasn’t been the same since. I feel like my life has ended and I don’t know how to move on.

"Before the fire, I had no idea about the dangers of these lithium-ion batteries. I bought my battery online and just assumed it would be safe; I never imagined it could be so dangerous.

"The battery exploded under my stairs, while my family was asleep. Flames were coming up the stairs like a flamethrower.

"The fire and smoke filled the house up in seconds. I told them to jump but they couldn’t get out. I’ve lost everything from that one night and my heart has been left broken.

"If my story doesn’t show the desperate need for a change in regulation, then I don’t know what will.

"I’m urging all the political parties to come together to tackle the issue of e-bike fires so that no one has to go through what I did.

"My life has been ruined but I can help to save someone else’s."

Flowers left at the scene of a deadly house fire in Cambridge. Credit: ITV Anglia

Electrical Safety First has called for the introduction of independent third-party certification for e-bikes, e-scooters and their batteries.

At present, manufacturers can self-declare their e-bikes and batteries are safe.

Similar requirements are already in place for other high-risk products, such as fireworks and heavy machinery.

Electrical Safety First chief executive Lesley Rudd said: "Right across the country people are dying because of these fires, and people like Scott are left living with the grief and devastation.

"Legislation is desperately needed and time is of the essence. We owe it to those who have lost their lives to ensure we do all we can to prevent further tragedies.

"All political parties must to come together to tackle this issue and we want to work with any future government to address the problem as a priority. They will have the power to save lives and prevent future heartache."

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