Bodies of gardener, wife and child found in burnt

Staff reporter(wp/es):

A gardener and his wife and child were killed when a fire ripped through a cottage on a farm in Surrey. 

The victims of the blaze were today named after their bodies were reportedly found in a double bed following a fire that burned all night at the rural property near Reigate.

The fire was only discovered when colleagues went to check on a man living at the house who failed to turn up for work.

Firefighters, Surrey Police, the Surrey Fire Dogs and the National Police Air Service police helicopter were called to reports of a fire at Trumpets Hill Road yesterday morning “following concerns for the safety of occupants at the location”.

A spokesman for Surrey Police said: “Officers arrived at the location at around 11.10am. A property was found to have suffered serious fire damage and three people, including two adults and a child, were found deceased. Their next of kin has been informed.

“A joint investigation between Surrey Police and Surrey Fire and Rescue Service is under way into the cause of the fire.”

Fire brigade sources told the Standard the fire began in a 12m by 8m outbuilding of the farm which is attached to the main house, raising the possibility that it could have been started deliberately.

The source said: “The outhouse has all sorts of gardening equipment and materials in it. The fire started there and then spread to the main house.

“Obviously one line of inquiry will be that it was started deliberately but it is too early to say anything definitively at this stage.”

Worried colleagues had gone to check on the man when he failed to turn up for work, only to discover the property completely destroyed by flames.

It had apparently been burning all night without anyone realising what had happened.

A neighbour said the work colleague who discovered the blaze at the remote Little Santon Farm Cottage told emergency services a man, woman and child normally lived at the property.

When fire crews eventually got inside they made the discovery.

No attempt had been made to raise the alarm by the occupants and detectives are now trying to establish if there was any suspicious circumstances to their deaths.

The victims are understood to be the gardener for Little Santon Farm, his wife and child.

They were named locally as Tiago and Adriana Nunes and their son, also called Tiago.

Mrs Nunes’ brother Guilherme Alexandre Herrera Cruz told of his grief online.

Posting pictures of his dead relatives, he said: "My heart hurts too much! I expected too much live close and you were gone! May God comfort us! Without words!”

Friends offered their condolences and support. Cruzziani Vendetti wrote: “Your sister, brother-in-law and nephew, now rest in peace, all my support and strength to get you through with your family's tragic loss.”

The farm is owned by Adrian Smart, 81, a retired solicitor, and his wife Anne, 75, known by her middle name Sara.

Mr Smart, a businessman, is chairman and trustee at Gatton Park - a 600 acre park made famous by 18th Century English landscape designer Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. 

He is understood to have raised the alarm when Mr Nunes, who is believed to be Portuguese, failed to turn up for work.

Mrs Nunes is understood to be a cleaner in the village of Betchworth. 

One resident said the child who died was a little boy aged around seven years old and that his parents were in their 30s.

She said: “Mr and Mrs Smart live at Little Santon Farm. The gardener lives in the cottage on the grounds and that was the building that was on fire. 

“Betchworth is a small village, they were very well known and lovely people.

“I’m in shock.”

She added: “I was supposed to be picking Mrs Smart up and got to the farm at around 10.45am. Mrs Smart had just found out. “It must have happened quietly during the night.

“[The cottage] is far away from the farmhouse which is over a mound. Looking at the cottage I don’t think there were many houses that would have seen it.

“Adrian called the police, I was with Sara and the police arrived whilst I was there. 

“They [the family] have been there for a few years, maybe four or five.” 

Police in white forensic suits were carrying out their investigations at the scene today.

Jane Douglass, headteacher of North Downs Primary School in Leigh Village, where Tiago is understood to have attended, today told parents: “It is with huge sadness and regret that I write to inform you that we have received information from the police regarding a tragic incident, which we believe involves one of our Leigh pupils.

“There has been a house fire in Reigate in which two adults and a child have died.

“This is very likely to be a difficult time for us as a school and a community and we will all need to support each other, and particularly those most closely affected.”