Online appeal raises over £250k to help Sean Ivey, from Wingate, after suspected arson attack

Sean Ivey said he was a ‘bit embarrassed’ and ‘completely overwhelmed’ by the support people from all over the country have shown since the shock incident in Wingate, near Peterlee.

Heartbreak after second fire breaks out 

The 38-year-old was forced to flee his home on Taylor Grove with his wife, Kate, and two young children, after the house, car and caravan were torched.

Mr Ivey said his ‘heart dropped’ when he realised he had forgotten to renew the house insurance.

The damage to the house was extensive

Sine then he has been inundated with offers of help from tradesmen, bathroom and kitchen companies, and other local firms to repair the house.

The family has also been contacted with offers of clothes and toys for the Mr Ivey’s five-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter.

Mr Ivey said: “There have been so many people coming and saying how sorry they are about what happened and offering to help.

“It is mind-blowing and really heart-warming.

“A little girl came over on Sunday and said she wanted to go through her toys and give some of them to my little girl. We were like ‘wow’.”

“We have been getting a lot of messages of support.”

The initial fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday with a second blaze around 24 hours later.

Sean during his military days

Mr Ivey, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan during a 15-year military career, was a sergeant before he was medically discharged due to a head injury.

He now works as a teacher at Hartlepool College, while his 35-year-old wife works as a nurse.

He believes he was targeted after standing up to anti-social behaviour in the village and posted on social media that his parents had been robbed in their own homes.

Three teens quizzed by police over arson 

The online campaign, which had an initial target of £2,000, was set up by former 45 Commando colleague Kevin Miller.

By Monday lunchtime the total amount was over £253,000.

My Ivey said: “It is going to make a huge difference for our family and it is going to get us back on our feet.

“I still need to speak to the caravan and the car insurance companies.

“We don’t know what the full extent of the damage to the house is yet but it is going to be a full rebuild.

“It’s a few years since I saw Kev but that’s the great thing about the Royal Marines and how veterans come together when any situation like this occurs.

"The response though is unbelievable.”

To support the appeal CLICK HERE.