Clayton-le-Woods house collapse death not suspicious

The death of a man whose body was found in the wreckage of his fire-hit home was not suspicious, police have said.

Carl Whalley, 57, died after his house on Kirkby Avenue in Clayton-le-Woods, Lancashire, collapsed on 15 October.

Lancashire Police previously said officers were following several lines of inquiry including allegations about a dispute before his death.

But the force has since confirmed there was no evidence of any third-party involvement.

Emergency services were called to the scene of the collapse, which was originally treated as the result of a suspected gas explosion, at about 13:30 GMT.

But an investigation by gas company Cadent later found no fault with gas mains and pipes.

A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as smoke inhalation and burns and precisely what happened will now be examined in an inquest.

Lancashire Police said it had now completed its investigation which "involved some really complex and meticulous work".

"We have concluded there were no suspicious circumstances and no evidence of any third-party involvement," the force added.

At the time 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."

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