A YOUNG boy and his grandmother who died in a house fire could have been saved if the smoke alarm near their bedrooms had been fitted with a battery.

Christopher Wellard, 10, of Fleet Road, died from smoke inhalation on January 9 after black toxic fumes filled his grandparents house, in Fulwich Road, Dartford.

Grandmother Maggie Martin, 71, was taken to Darent Valley Hospital in a critical condition suffering from smoke inhalation but died the following day.

Christophers headteacher at St Ansels Roman Catholic Primary School, in Temple Hill, Bernadette King, said: "Everyone at the school is terribly upset and shocked.

"He was a gentle and beautiful child who gave a lot to people. His jokes and quirky sense of humour always made everyone smile."

She recalled an occasion when Christopher had stopped to help a fellow pupil who was struggling to put his coat on.

Mrs King added: "It was these sorts of moments which made him such a caring person."

A neighbour who has lived next to them for five years said: "I knew them all, a very nice family. The boy used to play with our boy. He was a nice polite young kid. It is just such a terrible thing to happen."

Head of community fire safety Adam Eckley said: "This is a real tragedy. If the battery had not been removed from the smoke alarm the family would have been woken long before the fire took hold."

Police believe a dropped cigarette or an electrical fault could have sparked the fire.

A Kent fire brigade spokesman said: "The boy and the grandmother were in bed at around 9pm.

"One armchair on the ground floor burnt for an hour, filling the first floor with large volumes of black toxic smoke such as cyanide and chlorine.

"It would not have taken long for someone to die."