Leicester Firebomb Attack: Bereaved Husband Muhammad Taufiq Pays Tribute to Wife and Children

The husband and father of the victims killed in a house fire in Leicester has said he will "deeply miss my beautiful wife and deeply miss my children" after the "tragic incident".

Shehnila Taufiq died along with her three teenage children hours later at the family's home in Wood Hill about half a mile away in the Spinney Hills area of the city .

In a brief public statement, Dr Muhammad Taufiq Satar said he was struggling to come to terms with what has happened but said: "I know justice will be done."

He thanked the local community for being "very supportive" and offered "real big thanks to the police department in Leicestershire".

He also thanked the media for being "patient" and "understanding the pain I am going through at present".

Police have continued their investigations into the deaths but have so far ruled out any links to an earlier fatal stabbing of a man in the city centre.

Leicestershire Police confirmed they had found no evidence to suggest the four victims of the house fire in Wood Hill were involved in the murder of a football coach on Kent Street earlier in the evening.

Two women arrested in the Warwickshire area and a 19-year-old man held in London in relation to the fatal assault remain in police custody in Leicestershire and will be interviewed soon.

Assistant chief constable Roger Bannister confirmed at a news conference that no arrests have been made in relation to the fire and said inquiries are ongoing to determine whether there is a link between the two incidents.

Dr Sattar Taufiq, was believed to have been away from his family home in Ireland, where he works when the tragedy struck.

Shocked neighbours of the Taufiqs suggested that if the family had been targeted, it might have been a case of mistaken identity.

"Most people feel this was meant for somebody else and they got the wrong house," said a middle-aged neighbour who did not want to be named.

Leicestershire Police said: "The whole area is being carefully examined which may take some time.

"Specially-trained officers will be searching for evidence connected to the incident and this requires careful searching under and around vehicles parked in the street, front gardens and pavements.

"Detectives would like to thank the residents of Wood Hill for their patience and co-operation while this is ongoing."

Extra officers and forensics staff were drafted in to investigate the crimes and bolster patrols in the area.

Leicester-based Imam Ibrahim Mogra, the assistant secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "I did not know them personally but from what people have told me they were a very religious family, very humble, very modest and very generous.

"The mother was a scholar herself and clearly they were a family that was into religion and education and were held in very high esteem by the local community."

Local shopkeeper Sattar Raidhan, who has lived in the area for 35 years, said: "I believe the husband worked as a doctor in Ireland and he came home every weekend to see his family. I can't even imagine how this would happen to a family like that."