Police name first victim killed in Reading flat fire

He was one of two people killed in December

Author: Grace McGachyPublished 2nd Feb 2022

One of the people who died in the Rowe Court flat fire in Reading has been identified.

The bodies of two people were carefully removed from the building on Monday (31 January).

The first victim was 45 year old Neil Morris.

Mr Morris’s family is being supported by specially trained officers and they have released the following tribute to him:

“Neil was a dearly loved son, brother, brother in law, uncle and friend and has been taken from us too soon and in such a tragic way.

“The family are devastated and ask that they be allowed to grieve in private at this very difficult time.

“The family also ask that Neil’s memory is given the privacy and dignity he rightly deserves.”

The fire broke out at a block of flats on Rowe Court on the 15th of December.

The blaze left the building in an unsafe state and recovery workers had to slowly remove pieces of the building to reach the bodies.

The Thames Valley Police Major Crime Unit is continuing its investigation into the incident, and a man has been charged in connection with it.