A man whose wife and two children died in a Boxing Day fire has paid tribute to his “wonderful family”.
Tom Shearman escaped the fire after it engulfed their home on Brimscombe Hill in Stroud, Gloucestershire, killing seven-year-old Eve, four-year-old Ohner, and their mother, Fionnghuala Shearman.
“I cannot begin to describe the anguish and trauma of the events of Boxing Day 2025,” he said in a tribute released by Gloucestershire Constabulary.
“My family had its very core, its very essence, ripped from it in the most violent way.”
Mr Shearman, a police officer with Gloucestershire Constabulary, escaped the burning house and tried multiple times to re-enter to save his family.
He said in the tribute: “I have stared at my keypad for what seems like an eternity waiting for the words to appear.
“I have no way to thank any of you for the unbelievable out of this world generosity that you have shown to me in the darkest of hours.
“My life, the lives of my loved ones, my friends and the whole community changed on Boxing Day.
“Most importantly, and tragically, three of the greatest humans to ever grace our presence were taken from not just me, but all of us.”
