Family's complaints to Kirklees Council about neighbour before fatal fire in Huddersfield

• Reporter Helen Steel spoke to Inas Himedan

A family who were forced to jump from a second floor window to escape a fatal arson attack had made a catalogue of complaints in the months before the incident about the neighbour responsible.

Inas Himedan, her husband Yousef Khaled and their two children, aged two and four, fled their home in Hillhouse Lane, Huddersfield, after a fire was started in the early hours of 14 February.

Another tenant of the Kirklees Council-managed block, Raimondas Vejelis, 52, died in the incident.

On Monday, arsonist Marcin Kramarski, 42, was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter.

Mrs Himedan, 33, said she had pleaded with the council to move her family from the flat after months of problems with Kramarski before the incident.

"I feel like this is something that could have been prevented," she said.

"The guy who started the fire was well known to police, he was moved around everywhere in Huddersfield. Have some common sense - why would you put someone like that in somewhere where there's kids?

"I feel like something like this could happen again. I feel like people's lives don't matter any more."

Mrs Himedan, a physician associate, was asked to document her problems with Kramarski after she first complained to the council in 2023.

Over the course of months she recorded incidents of threatening behaviour, drug taking and fights.

She filmed drugs being taken outside the flat and, on one occasion, Kramarski being cautioned by police.

Mrs Himedan said: "I kept contacting the council, but no-one was doing anything about it. It was getting to the point where it was so unbearable. We had assaults, fights, you name it.

"We gave them all the evidence, there was nothing more I could have done. It was really disheartening to read because at that point I thought what am I going to do? I'm stuck in this place."

The problems became so bad that the family eventually declared themselves homeless at a support centre and were given emergency accommodation for a single night.

"Everyone just turned a blind eye," Mrs Himedan said.

"I said to them 'if anything happens to me and my kids I'm coming for you', and they called the police to escort me out of the building like an animal."

In correspondence with a housing support worker, seen by ITV News, Mrs Himedan was told: "Due to the immense pressure on services each case has to show exceptional reasons for why a management let [a move to another property] should be accepted. I put forward all the information previously discussed with you but it unfortunately did not substantiate enough to accept the request."

On the night of the fire, Mrs Himedan said she was asleep when she heard a noise and realised her family were in danger when she saw smoke in the stairwell.

"We ran to the furthest point from the stairs, which was the living room," she said.

"[My husband] grabbed the keys and opened the windows and at that time the whole house was full of smoke, so he said we have no choice but to jump.

"So he grabbed my eldest daughter and jumped out of the window. And then I literally just flung the youngest one and I couldn't breathe and then I just followed her. I thought we were going to die, I thought that was it. If I had slept two minutes more we wouldn't have made it."

The family have since moved to new accommodation and have been helped by fundraising by their community.

Mrs Himedan said: "I hope the council will take accountability for what they've done."

Kirklees Council said it could not comment on the case.

But deputy leader Cllr Moses Crook said: "Tenant safety is our top priority, and we will not tolerate any form of anti-social behaviour.

"We will always support residents in reporting incidents and actively work with local communities, Safer Kirklees and West Yorkshire Police to prevent and stop problems.

"In exceptional cases, we will help tenants find alternative housing, but this may not happen quickly due to limited availability. We urge residents to report any issues and contact the police if in immediate danger."

Kramarski, who was also convicted of arson, is due to be sentenced in December