A man and his stepson who died in a fire at their home are to share the same funeral service on Saturday.

Viv Slade, 44, died in an ambulance outside his home in Springfield Road, Wantage, after fire ripped through the Edwardian terraced house last Thursday.

The blaze was discovered by his wife, Rose, as she returned from work as head cleaner at nearby King Alfred's School.

She battled in vain to get her husband out after discovering the fire in a first-floor bathroom, but was beaten back by flames.

David Pettifer, 36, the eldest of Mrs Slade's four sons, was later found dead by firefighters, who believe candles started the blaze. A lodger, Lee Hares, had a lucky escape after deciding to stay at his girlfriend's home that night.

The funeral of the two victims will take place at the Wantage parish church of SS Peter and Paul at 11am.

They will later be buried side-by-side in the town cemetery at Chain Hill.

Story date: Thursday 28 January

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.