PLANS to fit fire engines with computer maps are not linked to a blaze in which a mother and two children died, a brigade chief said last night.

Despite the denials, Nabeel Maqsood believes the move was initiated by a fire in which his wife, Sadia, 25, and sons Shamoon, aged four, and three-year-old Aysan died.

An inquest in Middlesbrough yesterday heard that the first two appliances to arrive at the scene were brought to a halt between 60 and 70 metres from his burning house in Russell Street, Stockton, because the road was blocked midway as part of traffic-calming measures.

A third appliance, diverted along another route, turned into the opposite end of the street and reached the burning house two minutes later.

Mark Whelan, Cleveland Fire Brigade's director of operations and community safety, said: "We are hoping to have a computerised system where we can keep up to date with all blocks and traffic-calming measures and issues that might affect attendance, and we are planning to put computers in fire appliances."

Mr Maqsood said: "The fire brigade got it wrong. They turned into the wrong end of the street and sent another appliance round another way. But in that time there was nothing I could do.

"They are going to have computer maps, but it has taken a tragedy to have brought this about."

Sadia Maqsood told her husband she had smacked three-year-old Aysan for lighting pieces of paper from the living room gas fire and dropping them into a waste paper bin next to a settee strewn with foam-filled cushions.

Fire investigators told Teesside Coroner Michael Sheffield the seat of fire had been the waste bin.

Recording three verdicts of accidental death, Mr Sheffield said: "It could be there was something still smouldering in the waste paper bin or another burning piece of paper had been dropped in the bin after Sadia had gone upstairs.

"In any event, it is quite clear Aysan was too young to know the consequences of his actions."