Gas explosion kills pensioner

Mr George Titterton died  after a gas explosion at his house in Sheen in February this year.  His body was found under rubble and debris by a police dog on the third day of the search.

An investigation into the cause of the fire has concluded that the most likely cause was the leaking of propane from two gas cylinders in the kitchen. Fire investigation officer Mark McCabe said ‘The gas migrated from the kitchen and mixed with the open fire’. It is likely that Mr Titterton was trying to change the cylinder when the explosion occurred.

PC Andrew Platt who was at the scene of the fire said “The front of the building had blown out on to the road. The whole of the inside of the building had collapsed.” The fire investigation took five days to carry out due to safety concerns. Most of the building had collapsed making it difficult to access.

Friends described Mr Titterton as an independent man who would always try jobs himself before asking people for help.