05/06/2007

House fire father 'killed children'

A man who was found dead with his two children in a house fire in Devon may have killed them before setting fire to the house and stabbing himself to death, police have said.

The bodies of Iain Varma, 34, and his children - Zak, eight, and four-year-old Chloe - were found in the house in Gowmans Terrace in North Tawnton following the blaze in the early hours of Monday morning.

Mr Varma's wife Alison was not in the house at the time of the blaze, nor was her two-year-old son Lee.

According to reports, the couple are believed to have split up last week.

A post-mortem has been carried out on Mr Varma, but the results have not yet been released.

Post-mortems have still to be carried out on the two children.

Mrs Varma's 59-year-old father was arrested in connection with the incidents shortly after the fire was extinguished, but he was later released without charge.

(KMcA/SP)

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