Inquest opened into death of two-year-old in Ingoldmells caravan blaze

A two-year-old girl who died in a caravan park fire in Lincolnshire is believed to have died from the inhalation of products of combustion, an inquest opening has heard.

The Assistant Coroner for Lincolnshire, Paul Cooper, was told the body of Louisiana Brooke Dolan was identified using DNA tests after the blaze in Ingoldmells, near Skegness, on 23 August.

The toddler, from Newark in Nottinghamshire, had been staying at the Sealands holiday park with her mother and three other children, who survived and were discharged after treatment in hospital.

Giving evidence to the short hearing in Lincoln on Friday, coroner's officer Jacqui Foxlow said: "Sadly we were unable to establish a visual identification of the deceased.

"Samples were taken from a family member for DNA profiling. These have been compared against samples taken at post-mortem and consequently identity was confirmed."

Asked by Mr Cooper to provide him with a cause of death, Ms Foxlow, the lead investigator for the inquest, added: "We have a provisional conclusion as 'inhalation of the products of combustion' which is pending toxicology and histology."

The court heard the further tests could take up to two and a half months, although a final report is expected in the next few weeks.

Police inquiries are ongoing, the coroner was told, and reports have been requested from a GP, East Midlands Ambulance Service, and Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue.

The coroner adjourned the inquest to a date to be fixed.