Mother finally learns of death of four children in blaze after waking up from a coma months later

A mum whose four children were killed in a blaze at their family home has finally been told of their deaths – four months later.

Michelle Pearson, 35, was left in a critical condition after suffering serious burns in the fire that ripped through the house in Salford, Manchester, in December.

Firefighters battled the blaze but it claimed the lives of Michelle’s children Demi, 15, Brandon, eight, Lacie, seven, and Lia, three. Two other teenagers managed to escape.

Michelle was heavily sedated for several months after the fire and this week officers confirmed that she had been told the news about her four children.

Detective Chief Inspector Lewis Hughes, from Greater Manchester Police, told reporters that Michelle, who is still in hospital, was making good progress and could now eat and drink.

But he said: “It is only within the past fortnight that she has become sufficiently lucid to understand that four of her children have died.”

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The children’s granddad Mike Pearson, auntie Claire Pearson and uncle Chris Pearson have previously paid tribute to the “beautiful” siblings in a joint statement.

They described Demi as “like another mum to the younger ones” while Brandon was “going to be the next Stephen Hawking”.

“Brandon and Lacie were like twins, they were close in age, but had an even closer bond,” the statement said. “They were always together. You couldn’t just do something with one of them, they came as a pair.”

“Lacie was a little diva, she loved to dance. There was always music on in the house and Lacie would always be dancing to it. Her teachers said she would ask to go to the toilet then dance out of the classroom and down the corridor.

“Little Lia loved Peppa Pig. She called everyone pig, so Mummy Pig, Demi Pig, Brandon Pig and Lacie Pig. She even called herself Lia pig.”