Clayton-le-Woods house collapse: Police probe neighbour dispute claims

Police investigating the death of a man whose house collapsed are looking into allegations of a "neighbour dispute".

The body of Carl Whalley, 57, was found in the wreckage of the fire-hit home on Kirkby Avenue in Clayton-le-Woods, Lancashire, on Friday afternoon.

Cadent said an investigation found no fault with the gas mains and pipes.

Lancashire Police said it was following a number of lines of inquiry including allegations made by Mr Whalley about a dispute prior to his death.

Det Ch Insp Zoe Russo said: "We are aware of some allegations made on social media by Mr Whalley and suggestions of a neighbour dispute and we are looking into these matters as part of our inquiries.

"We are also in the process of reviewing the circumstances of the incident to determine whether a mandatory referral to the Independent Office of Police Conduct is required."

Police have appealed for anyone with information or CCTV footage to come forward.

Det Ch Insp Russo said the force had been faced with "an extremely complex scene... so it may take some time to establish the exact circumstances".

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

His daughter Charlotte said: "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."

Emergency services were called to the fire, which was originally treated as a suspected explosion, at about 13:30 BST.

One witness said he had "never seen anything like it before".

"There were flames pouring out of every window. I couldn't believe how quickly it seemed to have burned," he added.

"It was absolutely blazing."

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