Tributes have been paid to a father who is believed to have died alongside several of his children when a blaze ripped through a farmhouse in rural Wales.
Neighbours said David Cuthbertson, who was known as Dave, “doted” on his children and lived with them at the remote property at Llangammarch Wells, Powys.
A neighbour raised the alarm shortly after midnight and three children, aged 13, 12, and 10, managed to escape unharmed but police say “a number of people” are missing.
(PA Graphics)
Police said there had been fatalities but due to the severity of the damage they were unable to confirm how many people had been killed.
Ron Birchall, 73, who lives at the former Aberceiros Inn in the village, said: “He was a great guy. All I can say is that he was a great father who loved his kids and doted on them.”
Mr Birchall said he had known Mr Cuthbertson since he first moved to the village 15 years ago.
“We have been living here since 2002 and when we arrived he was living in a village a couple of miles away and then he year or so later he moved to the village,” he said.
“I used to see him walking around the village or in his vehicle. We saw the kids coming to pick up the bus to school.”
Mr Birchall said he and his wife Rosemary knew nothing about the incident until they woke in the morning – even though around 20 emergency vehicles had parked at the pub.
“The village is devastated. We didn’t realise anything had happened in the early hours and we didn’t know anything until we got up at 6am,” he said.
“We live quite close and didn’t hear a thing until this morning. We just couldn’t believe it.”
Mr Birchall said Mr Cuthbertson was separated from his partner who had moved away after suffering a stroke.
“The village people are devastated and just can’t believe it. I’ve seen on the news the extent of the fire and it is just a shell,” Mr Birchall said.
“Very, very sad.”