Inquest hears of mother's plea to save child

Neighbour Dawn Ryan told an inquest ysterday how her last view of 27-year-old Gail Yates was her frantic face at the window of her burning bedroom, desperately calling for someone to save her two-year-old daughter, Megan.

Ms Ryan said: "It was Gail. She was screaming for me to get Megan -'Come and get Megan, Dawn. Do not get me, get Megan'.''

Passer-by Tommy Whittaker tried to battle his way up the stairs of the blazing house in Pelham Street, Middlesbrough.

In a statement read to the court, he said: "I got to about four steps from the top. I started shouting, 'where are you ? Where are you?'

"I heard a voice shout, 'please help us, please help us'.''

PC Carl Cooper said he heard a voice coming from the first floor area of the mid-terraced house, but the fire was burning so fiercely he could not make out the words.

Acting Police Inspector Peter Fraser said both upstairs bedrooms were engulfed in flames.

Firefighters recovered the bodies of 18-year-old Lee Yates and those of his sisters Joanne, 22, and Gail.

They recovered Gail's body to find Megan, who was badly burned but alive. She had been shielded by her mother's body, which was on a bed in the front bedroom.

The inquest heard that shortly before the fire, the two Yates sisters and Megan moved in with their mother, 46-year-old Rose Yates, following a fire at their previous home in Middlesbrough's Stowe Street.

Teesside Coroner Michael Sheffield heard that Gail had been arrested by Cleveland Police following the Stowe Street fire, which she had denied starting. Mrs Yates told Mr Sheffield she believed her daughter's denials.

Mr Sheffield also heard that Gail had a history of self-harm and had been a mental hospital in-patient.

He was told Joanne had drunk eight cans of lager on the night and her mother had drunk five, while Gail was out socialising.

The inquest also heard that Lee had come home with a bottle of cider and had smoked cannabis in his room.

The inquest continues today.