Funeral for firefighter hero

Friday 30th November 2007, 9:45AM GMT.

John AverisFamily 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.

See also: ‘One of the darkest days’

Exclusive video of blaze tragedy

Fatal warehouse blaze photos

Workers tell of ‘devastation’


  1. 1
    Ismail Patel

    20, 27, 24, 44 – they had their lives ahead of them… what a waste! RIP

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  2. 2
    Gaynor

    May god take your hands and lead you gently to walk by his side.All heros never forgotten.
    God Bless boys..xx

    Report abuse

  3. 3
    claire

    tragic r.i.p boys heroes til the end god bless all of you xx

    Report abuse



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