British detectives will today appeal for help in finding the killers of a four-month-old boy in a house fire.
The child's badly burned mother, Danielle Wails, screamed for help through her letterbox after she was tied up by two attackers at the Cowgate, Newcastle, house.
Her baby, Alexander Lee Gallon, died in hospital following his rescue from the burning building by firefighters on Sunday night. Ms Wails (21), who managed to dial 999 with her tongue, is in intensive care in hospital.
Two girls who ran to help as the house was alight yesterday told how they heard Ms Wails shouting through the letterbox.
Teenager Leanne Horspool (15) said: "She was saying that two men had got in and had attacked her and set fire to the house.
"I stopped a car and a man tried to help and then the fire brigade arrived and they kicked the door in. She stumbled out of the front door and was just all black and looked like she was covered in soot.
"She told me she had managed to dial 999 with her tongue. . . . She was shouting 'my baby, my baby is in there'," Ms Horspool said.
Neighbours said the Ms Wails had only lived there for five or six weeks.
PA