Woman who died in Thornaby fire named

Detectives investigating a fatal fire in a Thornaby flat have named the victim as 58-year-old Teresa Bolam, who lived in the property.

Officers have taken the unusual step of naming Teresa today in order to assist them with their investigation into the cause of the fire, which they say is still unexplained.

They are now appealing to members of the public and those who may have known Teresa to come forward and help them piece together her whereabouts in the twenty-four hours prior to her death. A post-mortem has indicated that Teresa sadly died as a result of the fire.

Police were called to the address at around 1:55am yesterday morning to reports of the fire, and Teresa’s body was found in the property by emergency services.

Investigations into the cause of the fire will continue alongside Cleveland Fire Brigade.

Teresa’s brother, Malcolm, described her as a “loving sister” who he is “going to miss.”

Detective Inspector Matt Hollingsworth said:

“Our thoughts and sympathies are with Teresa’s family. It’s extremely important that we are able to pinpoint the cause of the fire, and whilst there is no current suggestion that Teresa died as a result of criminality, we do need to piece together her whereabouts as part of the investigation.

“I’m appealing for anyone who may have seen Teresa in the days prior to her death to contact me.”

Anyone who may have seen Teresa is asked to call Cleveland Police on the non-emergency number 101.