Northamptonshire: Police to take no further action against man arrested after fatal house fire

30 March 2025, 14:14 | Updated: 30 March 2025, 19:28

Police say they have released a man arrested on suspicion of murder following the deaths of three people, including a four-year-old girl, in a fire in Northamptonshire on Friday.

Police said they would take no further action against the 54-year-old, who was arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday, and said that the fire was not believed to have been caused by a criminal act.

The man is now being supported by specialist officers, Northamptonshire Police said in a statement.

It comes after a 30-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man died alongside the four-year-old girl after a blaze at a former station house in the village of Rushton, near Kettering, on Friday night.

Detective chief inspector Ruby Burrow, of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said in a statement: "It is only right that an incident such as this is treated with the utmost seriousness, to make sure we have done all we can to understand what has happened for the sake of those who have died and their loved ones.

"In some cases, this requires arrests to be made in order to best secure potential evidence.

"Our team has been working at pace on this investigation and after rigorous examination of the available information, we do not believe there is any evidence of criminal wrongdoing at this point.

"As a result, the arrested man has been released without charge and will now be supported by specialist officers as he continues to assist the investigation team.

"The families involved have been kept updated on this development and I would repeat our request for their privacy to be respected at this incredibly distressing time."

The victims' next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.

Formal identification has yet to take place because of the complexities of the scene, Northamptonshire Police said on Sunday.

After the fire, one person was taken to hospital by the East Midlands Ambulance Service, and three officers were assessed because of smoke inhalation, Northamptonshire Police said.

Photographs show a large hole burned through the roof of the building - a 19th-century former station master's house at the now-closed Glendon and Rushton railway station.

It is a Grade II-listed building, according to the Historic England website, and is now believed to be a residential property.

Train services between London St Pancras International and Corby, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield were disrupted on Saturday after the fire.

The disruption was due to damage caused to a railway line, according to the National Rail website.

(c) Sky News 2025: Northamptonshire: Police to take no further action against man arrested after fatal house fire