Funeral for firefighter hero

Family and friends of one of the four firefighters who died in a West Midlands warehouse blaze are gathering for his funeral.

The body of John Averis, 27, was found five days after the fire at a vegetable packing factory in Atherstone-on-Stour, Warwickshire, on 2 November.

Mr Averis will be the first of the four to be laid to rest when the service takes place in Tredington.

Mourners will gather at St Gregory’s Church in the village this morning (Friday).

Fire service colleagues Darren Yates-Badley, 24, and Ashley Stephens, 20, also died in the blaze.

Ian Reid, 44, died in hospital after being rescued.

The funerals of the three other firefighters will take place on separate dates in December.

Investigations are continuing into the fire.

Officers have spent the last four weeks searching the warehouse and are treating the blaze as suspicious.

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