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Aunt killed in fire with niece was 'beautiful soul'

Federica Bedendo,North East and Cumbria,
Fiona Trott,North of England correspondentand
Liz Roberts,Senior North of England Producer
Supplied A composite image of Natalie McDonald and Valentina Foster. McDonald is wearing a white wedding dress with a tiara perched on her head. She has long dark hair and is holding a bouquet of white roses with four blue ones dotted within it. Valentina wears an electric blue dress with white flowers on the neckline and waist. She has long light brown hair with a blue and white headband. She is holding a small white basket with white and blue roses and she wears white gloves. Supplied
The family of Natalie McDonald and her niece Valentina Foster have paid tribute to them

A woman killed in a house fire has been described by her mother as "a beautiful soul, who would have done anything for anybody".

Natalie McDonald, 34, died along with her seven-year-old niece, Valentina Foster, in the blaze in Grangetown, near Middlesbrough, in the early hours of Wednesday.

Cleveland Police said the fire had also left a 48-year-old woman in a critical condition in hospital alongside another three people who suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Two men, aged 23 and 31, had been arrested on suspicion of murder and were in police custody, the force said.

Lisa Kirton, Natalie's mother, told the BBC her daughter was "lovely, bright and bubbly" and "everybody loved her".

She said Valentina, also known as Tina, had been spending the summer holidays with the family.

"She was a cute little kid," Kirton said. "I can't believe it, seven years old - it's just a disgrace."

She also said Natalie's 15-year-old daughter and a friend had managed to escape through an upstairs window.

The friend, she said, had "kicked out a window" and "had saved their lives".

PA Media The roof of the property is badly burnt. There are pieces of wood or metal sticking up out of it. The holes where the windows were are blackened.PA Media
A 34-year-old woman and her seven-year-old niece died in the blaze

Cleveland Police said it was "keeping an open mind and cannot rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time".

The fire happened about two miles from the A66 crash that killed five young men and two police officers on Saturday morning.

PA Media A floral tribute left near the scene, where a murder investigation has been launched after two people died in a house fire at a property in Grangetown, near Middlesbrough. A bouquet of pink and white flowers lies next to a lamppost, with a police tape in front of itPA Media
Floral tributes have been left near the scene of the house fire

Redcar and Cleveland Local Policing Commander Supt Emily Harrison said the force was working to "establish the circumstances of exactly what has happened".

"We will have a high visibility presence in the Grangetown area and encourage anyone who has concerns, or who may have information, to approach our officers."

Patrols had been increased in the local area to "reassure the local community", the force said earlier.

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