Couple die in caravan fire tragedy

John Thompson, 50, and his 49-year-old wife Pauline, who lived at Combe Haven Holiday Park in Harley Shute Road, St Leonards, were pronounced dead at the scene despite valiant efforts by paramedics to revive them.

Firefighters from both The Ridge and Hastings Fire Stations spent just over an hour tackling the flames.

Scores of floral tributes have been left by Mr and Mrs Thompson’s caravan following the tragedy, which happened on August 13 just after 10pm.

Family and friends this week paid heartfelt tributes to the couple.

Their 23-year-old daughter Charlotte said: “We are all devastated. They were lovely people. My dad had the most infectious laugh ever. “They were the best parents that we could have asked for and the most amazing grandparents to my son and daughter.”

Charlotte, mother of eight-month-old Clia and Cameron, aged six, said her parents had called most of their family on the day of their death, because they wanted to spread the news that Cameron had been offered trials at Arsenal Football Club.

She said: “They were so proud of Cameron. They were so happy, they rang everyone. They got to speak to so many people, and that’s a small blessing.

“By the time we got there, they were being pronounced dead at the scene. It was terrible. We’ll miss them so much.”

Mr and Mrs Thompson, who used to run The Shah pub in Ore, also have another daughter, 20-year-old Emily.

Mr Thompson also has three children from a previous marriage: Robert, Paul and Cathleen, who all live in Devon.