Clayton-le-Woods house collapse: Family pays tribute to Carl Whalley

A man killed in a house collapse was "the centre of our world", his family has said.

Carl Whalley, 57, died amid reports of a suspected explosion in Clayton-le-Woods on Friday.

Lancashire Police said officers continued attempts to establish the cause of a house fire that destroyed the Kirkby Avenue property.

In a statement, Mr Whalley's family said they were "devastated" by the loss of a "much-loved family member".

"No amount of time will lessen the pain that we are all going through," they said.

"He was the centre of our world and it has been ripped apart."

His daughter Charlotte added: "Everything I do in my life I do to make my Mum and Dad proud.

"I want to carry on in my Dad's footsteps and make sure that his legacy lives on forever. He taught me everything I know and my life will never be the same without him."

Neighbours have been returning to their homes after the area was evacuated following the blast at about 13:30 BST on Friday.

One resident said: "My wife thought a washing machine had blown up until we went outside and the whole of the front of the house had blown out completely."

Det Con Insp Zoe Russo, from Lancashire Police, said: "Our investigation into the incident, which we now know was a house fire, is in its early stages and we are working with Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and associated partner agencies to establish the cause of the incident.

"I would like to thank the nearby residents for their patience, especially those who have had to be evacuated from their houses."

Police are appealing for anyone with information or CCTV footage of the surrounding area to contact them.

While a cordon remains around the property, a number of the surrounding roads have reopened.

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]