Search for mansion blaze family

3:34am Thursday 28th August 2008

A missing millionaire and his family are feared dead following a suspected arson attack on their home.

Christopher Foster, his wife Jill and their 15-year-old daughter Kirstie have been missing since a blaze ripped through their secluded country house in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

They went to a friend's barbecue on Monday before returning home later that evening.

The fire started at about 5am, destroying a stable block and garage and badly damaging the house itself. Three horses were found dead.

The damage to the house, in Maesbrook, near Oswestry, Shropshire, was such that search teams were not able to enter it on Wednesday.

According to reports, bullet cartridges and pools of blood were found in the courtyard and the front door was barricaded from the inside.

Police have refused to say if their investigation is a missing persons inquiry or a murder probe, or to comment on reports that a horsebox had been parked in front of the gates to the property as the blaze took hold, blocking the entrance to emergency services.

Mrs Foster's brother, Roger Doley, said he had been "gripped with dread" when neighbours told him what had happened.

He said: "When I got home and I saw a neighbour come across with her husband I was gripped with dread. I couldn't believe what she was telling me. The police called later and said they still don't know where the family are.

"They won't be able to go into the house for a couple of days because it's unsafe due to the extent of the fire. The waiting is killing me."