Mother and daughter killed in house fire ‘were best friends and great mothers’

A mother and daughter died after a fire at their north London home.

Firefighters rescued Sheila Roberts, 75, and her daughter Heather, 35, from the first floor of the end-of-terrace property in Tottenham on Friday morning and they were taken to hospital.

Sheila was pronounced dead there an hour later. Heather Roberts, who worked at North Middlesex University Hospital, died on Monday. Her young daughter was at school when the fire broke out.

Heather’s father Brandis today said that his ex-wife, who had battled breast cancer for four years, and his daughter lived together and were “best friends”.

“They were both great mothers. They always went to church and were close with their congregation,” he added.

“My daughter was a kind and gentle woman. She used to speak so soft you could hardly hear what she was saying.” Four fire engines were called to the blaze in St Loy’s Road, about 300 yards from the fire station, just before 11am on Friday. One man escaped the blaze without assistance, the brigade said.

Neighbour Agnes Oppong, a family friend, said she saw medics attend to the two women. “I couldn’t sleep after that day. I watched them try to resuscitate them outside the house,” she said.

“Sheila was a close friend of mine. She was a very kind lady and good Christian who wanted to serve God at all times.

“Even at the latter stage of her illness she still came to Bible study and we would all worship together.”

Another woman, Tess, 39, said she knew the family from the school run at nearby Bruce Grove School. “We see the mum every day,” she said. “She has a young daughter in my son’s year five class. She always waves and says hello. It’s absolutely heart-breaking.”

Police said the cause of the fire is under investigation.