NEIGHBOURS say they heard "screams" and were "terrified" as a fatal fire ripped through a house in Wirral.

An eight-year-old boy has died after a blaze tore through a two-storey semi detached home on Keele Close in Beechwood in the early hours of Sunday, August 4.

At 1.48am Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service rushed to the scene to put out the flames. North West Ambulance Service and Merseyside Police also attended the incident.

When crews arrived three people were outside the property after leaping from the first floor windows. They are being treated in hospital and their injuries are not considered life-threatening.

A joint investigation between Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and Merseyside Police has revealed that the fire was accidental.

Officers remain on Keele Close today (Monday, August 5) with a police cordon in place.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, told the Globe: “I knew them, they were a nice family, lovely kids and what has happened is a real shame.

“My daughter got me up and said ‘mum, I can hear kids screaming and can smell smoke’, so we flew out and saw the neighbours were helping to get the family out of the house.

"The mum and her other children were out of the house by the time firefighters arrived.

“Then the firemen were banging down the door to get the boy, but he sadly died. It was terrifying to see this happening, particularly when you’re getting woken up in the early hours of the morning and don’t know what’s going on.

“They are a lovely family and a bad thing has happened to them, I just hope they can get through it”

Another eye witness said: “We slept all the way through it, so didn’t know what had happened until later on. We’re quite close to the family and their little girl was in our garden the day before it happened. My other daughter is close to her.

“They’re quite a close-knit family with relatives all over the estate.”

CFO Phil Garrigan who attended the incident said: “This has been a very tragic incident, with an incredibly sad outcome despite the best efforts of my crews.

“Our thoughts are very much with the family, friends and loved ones of the young boy at this time. We also know the impact that an incident like this will have on the local community and share our heartfelt condolences.

“I would like to commend the efforts of my fire control team and fire crews who acted so quickly to rescue the young boy and North West Ambulance Service colleagues who made every effort to provide emergency resuscitation."