THE parents of a seven-year-old boy who died in a blaze at the family home were last night keeping vigil at the hospital bedside of his younger brother.

William Patrick Blakelock, known as Liam, was confirmed dead in hospital after he was found by firefighters in the bathroom, upstairs in the smoke-filled house in Carrville, Durham City, on Tuesday evening.

His mother, Kathryn, 38, and three-year-old brother Shaun were rescued from the living room, downstairs in the semi-detached house, in Broome Road.

They were carried out unconscious but were resuscitated on the front lawn by paramedics and fire crews.

Both were taken to the University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham City, for treatment for the effects of smoke inhalation.

Mrs Blakelock was released from hospital yesterday. She was immediately joined by her husband, Gordon, at Shaun's bedside in the paediatric intensive care unit at Newcastle General Hospital, where he was transferred late on Tuesday.

Last night, he was on a ventilator, but was in a stable condition.

Mr Blakelock, a postman, and eldest daughter Helen, 13, were not in the house at the time of the blaze. Fire crews were quickly at the scene after the alarm was raised by neighbours at about 6.40pm.

One neighbour tried to gain access after seeing smoke in the kitchen of the home, but was beaten back by the fumes.

Durham Fire and Rescue Service's assistant community safety manager, Ian Dockerty, said investigators believed the seat of the blaze was in the kitchen, but they had so far been unable to pinpoint the exact cause.

Police confirmed last night that the fire was not being treated as suspicious.

Mr Dockerty said: "There was a lot of thick acrid smoke when the teams went in.

"As many as eight firefighters went into the house wearing breathing apparatus because it was understood there were children present.

"There was a very large fire going on, coming from the kitchen, which was well alight, and there were a lot of flames and heat.

"They quickly found the boy upstairs and brought him out, and he was taken straight to hospital.

"Then, they got the mother and the little one out from downstairs and paramedics and fire crews resuscitated him on the lawn."

Mr Dockerty said there did not appear to be any smoke alarms fitted.

"We can't stress enough the need to fit smoke alarms. This highlights it. Everyone can be at risk, you can't rely on your senses."

He said the crews involved in the operation were distressed at the tragedy. None of the firefighters was injured in the incident.

Liam was a pupil at nearby Cheveley Park Primary School, in Belmont.

Headteacher David Bedworth yesterday described him as, "a quiet, pleasant little boy, who was always eager to please".

He said: "He was well behaved and very popular in school. He enjoyed being with his friends. We shall all miss him a great deal and our thoughts are with his family."

Durham City Council is making rehousing arrangements for the family.

Councillor Dennis Southwell is the local city council member and a friend of Liam's grandparents.

He is also the housing representative on the city council cabinet.

Coun Southwell said: "I visited the family this morning with the local county council member, Barbara Howarth. It's a total tragedy for them.

"In the circumstances the city housing officer is seeking to make accommodation available at the earliest opportunity for them."

He said the children's grandparents were "very, very distressed" at the tragedy.