Double parked police cars slowed down paramedics trying to reach children stuck in a house fire

Paramedics who desperately tried to save the lives of a young boy and his little sister have told an inquest their response was hampered by police cars and members of the public.

Emergency services were called to Coronation Crescent in Preston on the evening of 8 April in 2022 after a fire broke out at the home of Lorena and Lucian Busuioc and their two young children.

Lorena managed to get out of the house and Lucian was at work at the time of the fire, but the two youngsters had to be rescued by firefighters.

Louis Constantin Busuioc, five, and his three-year-old sister Desire-Elena Busuioc were taken to hospital but died four days later.

An inquest in Preston heard that the first 999 call to the North West Ambulance Service, at 7.52pm, was incorrectly categorised but upgraded following a second call at 8.08pm.

Paramedics first arrived at 8.14pm but were delayed in getting to the scene due to the road being blocked.

Katie Appleby, a senior paramedic who was first on the scene said there were "lots of members of the public" who had to be asked to move to one side to let her through.

"I could smell smoke and I could see it," she said. "It was a very busy scene with lots of members of the public and lots of cars."

Another paramedic, who arrived in an ambulance four minutes later, said the area was "somewhat chaotic".

A third paramedic said: "We were delayed getting to the patients due to the significant number of police cars double-parked. They suggested we find an adjacent road."

North West Ambulance Service carried out an investigation after the incident. A bulletin and learning has been shared with those involved, and the wider trust, to ensure call handlers are aware of "the errors involved and the consequences".

The inquest heard the fire was started by a long-reach lighter, such as those used to light a stove, that set fire to the settee.

It also heard that in the months leading up to the blaze Louis had caused other fires in the house and been discovered with a lighter.

The inquest was told Lorena was asleep when the fire started, she had locked herself and the two children in an upstairs bedroom to prevent them from leaving the room while she slept.

The fire investigation found that a metal coat hanger had been used to unlock the bedroom door prior to the fire starting and it is most likely one of the children unlocked the door.

Before Lorena and Lucian moved into the rented property in Coronation Crescent the landlord had fitted a fire escape window to the main bedroom.

However, when fire investigators visited the house, they found the handle had been removed.

The fire investigator said "If that window had been available it would have aided escape, the explanation for the handle being taken off was, the young girl had been caught on a number of occasions, climbing up and opening the window and the parents had been fearful of her falling, understandably, so it had been removed."

The inquest continues.