Leicester fire deaths: Five people questioned by police.

Five people are being questioned by police about a suspected arson attack which killed four people in Leicester.

The fire took hold just after midnight on Friday in Wood Hill with neighbours rushing to try to alert the family.

Detectives said they could not rule out a link to the death of a man in a street attack nearby, hours earlier.

Two 19-year-old women arrested in connection with the attack have been released without charge but a 19-year-old man remains in police custody.


Antoin Akpom died after an assault on Thursday in Kent Street, about a mile from Wood Hill.

'Very supportive'

Antoin Akpom's uncle Ronny Akpom: "An innocent life has been lost"
On Saturday Dr Muhammad Taufiq Al Sattar, who lost his wife and three teenage children in the blaze, said he "deeply missed" them.

Police said that, while they were investigating a possible link between the deaths, there was no evidence anyone who lived in the house was involved in the street attack.

The people who died in the house fire have been named by the local mosque as Shehnila Taufiq, her teenage sons Jamal and Bilal and daughter Zainab, 19.

Firefighters found them dead in upstairs bedrooms.

Three women, aged 27, 20 and 19, and two men, aged 49 and 19, were arrested on Saturday afternoon.

At least 1,000 Muslim women have attended special prayers for the two female victims, in the women's section of Jame Mosque, where the family worshipped.

On Saturday, prayers were held for Jamal and Bilal at the same mosque, which has declared three days of mourning.

Antoin Akpom
Antoin Akpom was a coach and former player at Leicester Nirvana FC
Dr Taufiq Al Sattar, a neurosurgeon who works in Dublin, spoke outside the mosque on Saturday and thanked the people of Leicester.

"The people of Leicester have been very supportive," he said.

"I'm also thankful to the Jame Mosque. They made me feel that, despite losing my immediate entire family, the entire community in Leicester is family to me. Thank you very much."

'My best friend'
Tributes have been paid to Mr Akpom, a coach and former player at Leicester Nirvana FC, by family and friends.

The club held a minute's silence at games on Saturday, with more observed on Sunday.

His sister Lianne Murray said Mr Akpom had planned to train as a teacher and worked at Sparkenhoe Primary School in Leicester.

"He was my baby brother, he was my best friend, and my right arm," she added.

Detectives have carried out house to house enquires in both cases and continue to appeal for witnesses.


Dr Muhammad Taufiq Al Sattar said he "deeply missed" his wife and children

Earlier, a minute silence was held at Leicester Nirvana FC in tribute to Mr Akpom a coach and former player at the club.

It was attended by his family and Keith Vaz MP who said the whole city was "grief stricken".

"Five innocent people have lost their lives in Leicester over the last few days, the whole city is in shock," he added.

Meanwhile, the community has been pulling together to support each other and the families.

The nearby St Peter's Church in Highfields held special prayers for everyone involved and opened its doors for people of all faiths and none.

Ted Cassidy, from the church, said: "We tolled the bell for 10 minutes and we had a small group of the congregation of St Peter's spending an hour in silent prayer.

"It was a really spiritually powerful hour where we were praying for the Taufiq family and also for Antoin."