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Police 'determined' to find arsonist killer of six

Essex Police Dr Sabah Usmani, who has glasses and a headscarf, sits on the grass in a park, surrounded by five children, who are all smiling. In front of them is an uncut cake. A pushchair can be seen behind them.Essex Police
Dr Sabah Usmani and her five children, aged between three and 12, died in a fire at their home in Harlow

Police say they are "determined" to find justice for a father who lost his wife and five children in an arson attack.

Fire tore through a house in Harlow, Essex, in the early hours of 15 October 2012, killing five children aged between three and 12 along with their mother. Twelve years on, those responsible have not been identified.

Dr Abdul Shakoor survived by jumping out of an upstairs window of the terraced property in Barn Mead to raise the alarm.

Det Ch Insp Louise Metcalfe, from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: "Securing justice for Dr Shakoor remains our determined aim and I remain very confident the answers to this absolute tragedy lie within the Harlow community."

Essex Police said the fire broke out downstairs, before the house was quickly engulfed in smoke and flames.

Dr Shakoor's wife Dr Sabah Usmani, 44, and their children Muneeb, nine; Rayyan, six, and Hira, 12, died at their home.

Sohaib, 11, and another daughter Maheen, three, died later in hospital.

A silver Ford Focus was set on fire nearby at the same time.

Gabby Colenso/BBC Dr Shakoor is standing in a grass field. He is wearing a grey blazer and light blue shirt. He has short dark hair and a beard and is wearing gold-rimmed glasses.Gabby Colenso/BBC
Dr Abdul Shakoor jumped out of an upstairs window to raise the alarm

Essex Police said detectives were continuing to follow numerous lines of inquiry, and urged the community to share any information.

Det Ch Insp Metcalfe said: "Dr Shakoor lives with the unimaginable pain of losing his entire family; a wife who he had planned to grow old with; children who he imagined growing up and going on to do great things.

"But that future was taken from him exactly 12 years ago. For 12 years, no-one has faced justice for what happened but I remain committed to changing that."

The murder investigation, named Operation Shakespeare, has involved more than 70 police officers and staff, with about 500 people giving witness statements and almost 2,000 items examined

Det Ch Insp Metcalfe added: "No case is ever closed, and this investigation has been regularly reviewed to identify new lines of inquiry."

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