A heavily pregnant mother seriously hurt in an arson attack on her home is still unaware that her 11-year-old son died in last week's blaze.

While Janine Dodd's condition continues to improve police believe it will be sometime before she is well enough to be interviewed.

Detective Superintendent Barbara Franklin, who is leading the investigation, today spoke to press outside the burnt-out house in Mordey Close in Hendon, Sunderland, where Dean Pike, a pupil at Southmoor school, died.

With banks of flowers and soft toys mounting on the tiny front garden in front of the burnt-out semi, Supt Franklin appealed for information to help resolve the distressing crime.

There have been five murders in the area over the past three years but, contrary to rumours, she said that police believe the arson attack was not connected to any of them.

But she believed residents living on the Deerness Estate may be too afraid to speak. She urged: "Please don't be frightened and come forward. Please seek deep inside yourselves, remember Dean was just eleven years old, a happy boy, who looked a bit like Harry Potter.''

The inquiry she said was centred in the area and she revealed that three men, who have had a relationship with Janine, have been spoken to by police - including the father of Janine's unborn child.

Police, she said, were anxious to talk to three others and anyone else who had a previous relationship with Janine.

And as officers carried out door to door investigations on the estate, Supt Franklin said there had been a barbecue in a neighbouring street before the arson attack and believed someone may have seen something which could be helpful to the inquiry.

Police also revealed that on June 23 Janine had been to the coast with close friends returning home around 9.45pm.

Dean had been out playing rounders with friends on the estate and at 10.20pm Janine had texted her mother to say she was going to bed.

The fire occurred at around 12.55am the next morning and a number of items have been recovered from the scene for forensic testing . Supt Franklin added: "This was a terrible incident in which an eleven-year-old boy has died and his mother has been badly injured.

"I believe the answer to this case lies within the community itself and would urge anyone with information to come forward. All information will be treated in the strictest confidence.''

Anyone who can help should telephone 0191-5636100.