Mum keeps children's clothes untouched after family rocked by fatal arson attack

A couple whose lives were ripped apart when they lost five family members in a terrifying arson attack, sparked by a row over a pram, say their grief is still "raw" a decade on.

Steve Allen and Jonty Lewis' daughter Skye and son Bailey, who had been staying with their auntie Lee-Anna Shiers, 20, her partner Liam Timbrell, 23, and their 15-month-old son Charlie, lost their lives in 2012.

They were murdered by neighbour Melanie Smith, who had torched a pram in the communal hallway of the flat in Maes y Groes in Prestatyn, reports North Wales Live.

A decade later, two-year-old Skye Allen's clothes remain untouched inside a chest of drawers in her parents' bedroom.

In the next room, hidden behind a cupboard, are posters that her four-year-old brother, Bailey, stuck on his bedroom wall, which his parents cannot bear to tear down.

In other parts of the house, pictures of Bailey and Skye hang proudly alongside their siblings, including their younger sister and two brothers whom they did not get the chance to meet.

While these keepsakes may seem small or unimportant, they have helped Jonty and Steve deal with their loss.

Over the past ten years, Steve and Jonty have wrestled with grief to rebuild a future for their five other children, but there are some things they just cannot let go of.

Steve said: "When you lose a loved one, people tell you 'time is a great healer', but the truth is, that pain will never go away.

"People used to say that to us a lot, but time doesn't heal you, it just teaches you to deal with it better. There's little things we do that are silly, but that's how we cope.

"Everyone deals with things differently, but for us having pictures and those reminders of those happy memories helps us cope.

"Even though it's been ten years, it doesn't feel like that, it feels like yesterday."

Manchester United fan Bailey and "daddy's girl" Skye had gone to stay with their bubbly auntie Lee-Anna, loving uncle Liam, and "cheeky" cousin Charlie on October 19, 2012.

No one could have imagined the senseless crime which would take place later that night.

In a drink-fuelled rampage, Lee-Anna and Liam's neighbour Melanie Smith set fire to a pram in the communal hallway following a row over where it should be kept.

Flames tore through the flat where the three children and two adults were staying, in a horrific crime which shook the whole community.

Siblings Skye and Bailey died on the night of the fire, as did loving mum and auntie Lee-Anna.

15-month-old Charlie was resuscitated at the scene and fought for his life at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, but passed away after two days.

Charlie's dad Liam died three weeks later, becoming the fifth person to lose their life as a result of the blaze.

Smith was jailed for a minimum of 30 years in 2013 for five counts of murder.

The tragic loss of Skye, Bailey, Lee-Anna, Liam and Charlie, was not only felt by their families, but the entire community. Grief rippled through Prestatyn and beyond as people tried to wrap their heads around such a senseless loss of five lives.

Jonty said: "Everyone was affected by it, it touched a lot of people.

"I really want to thank people for their ongoing support, even after all this time it means a lot that people still remember and ask us how we're doing.

"People were amazing and we had a lot of support so I just want to thank all the people who have supported us."

Steve and Jonty still live in Prestatyn, just a few minutes' drive from the flat, which has served as a painful reminder of the tragedy for years.

The building, which was badly damaged in the blaze, is set to be repaired over the coming months after sitting empty for several years.

Despite the many painful reminders they face each day, Steve and Jonty say they could never move away because of how many happy memories the town holds.

The couple's eldest son Kai is now 16 with hopes of joining the army, whilst Hunter, who was a baby at the time, is now 10 years old.

Younger siblings Tristan Bailey, eight, Summer Skye, seven, and four-year-old Junior, were born after the tragedy and despite never having met their older siblings, they know about them from their mum and dad's stories and pictures.

Jonty says she will always carry the pain of the loss with her, but wants others to know that things do get easier.

"When it first happened we didn't know how we would carry on, and if it wasn't for the kids I don't think we would have," she said.

"It took us a long time to get over the guilt of laughing and feeling happy again, because it felt like people were judging us for not being miserable all the time but if we lived like that forever then we'd be robbing the kids of their future and that's not fair on them.

"I remember at the time thinking I would never be happy again but then it started to get a bit easier to cope with the day-to-day.

"It's still always with you and still feels so raw but it starts not being right there in front of your face all the time.

"I think anyone who has lost a loved one should know that there is light at the end of it, because I remember how much it helped me at the time."