Inquest into death of Sunderland man Mark Herron due to open in city after fire at city home

Mark Herron, 53, was named by Northumbria Police as the person whose remains were found during an investigation into the blaze, which happened at Tunstall Village Green.

Emergency services were called to the street on Tuesday, February 18 to reports of a fire at the detached garage of a property there.

As investigations into the cause of the fire began, human remains were discovered buried under rubble in the garage.

Mark’s family paid tribute to him in a touching statement last week and said: “He was a much-loved member of our family, and whilst he would have been the first to acknowledge he had his problems in recent years, he was a kind man at heart.”

His inquest will open at Sunderland Civic Centre on Thursday at 11.30am.