Inquest opens into deaths of mother and three children killed in house fire
Two other family members, a woman in her 70s and a 13-year-old girl, were also taken to hospital.
Neighbours said the family were of Pakistani origin and had lived on Tillett Close, in the Brent area, for a long time.
Senior coroner Andrew Walker formally opened the inquest into their deaths during a brief hearing at Barnet Coroner's Court on Tuesday.
The coroner then adjourned the inquest at the request of the police, after being informed in court that an investigation into the incident was ongoing.
No details were given about any of the victims' cause of death.
A 41-year-old man was arrested outside the houses in connection with the incident and has since been bailed and detained under the Mental Health Act, the Metropolitan Police previously said.
Addressing a police liaison officer during the hearing, Mr Walker said: 'Would you pass my deepest sympathies to members of the family who are not attending today.'
The inquest will next be heard at the same court on September 23.
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Newly appointed shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly also weighed in this morning, criticising the Prime Minister for a 'disconnect from reality' when it comes to housing asylum seekers. The Tory MP and former home secretary said asylum hotels are being reopened and that more asylum seekers are likely to be sent to an accommodation centre in his own constituency of Braintree. 'The Government has lost control,' he told LBC. 'And to add insult to injury, we saw the Prime Minister at the Liaison Committee just this week blithely saying, oh, there are plenty of houses for asylum seekers, when there are people all over the country struggling to get on the housing ladder, and that complete disconnect from reality, I think, is driving a lot of frustrations. 'There is never an excuse for rioting, and I'll make that absolutely clear, but the Government really is making a difficult situation significantly worse.' He said that people who live close to facilities housing asylum seekers are 'typically well behaved' but that there are 'agitators, both of the left and the right, imposing themselves on local communities to try and play out a political agenda, and local people are caught in the crossfire'. The Government should be seen to be 'on the side of the people who play by the rules, rather than on the side of the people who abuse the system, jump the queue and try and exploit our hospitality,' he said. Protesters are already plotting to take action outside more migrant hotels in the coming days. Conservative Councillor Daniel Elmer, who leads South Norfolk Council, yesterday told MailOnline 'the risk of public discontent is real' as he responded to the protests outside The Park Hotel in Diss. He added: 'I think that is unarguable. The fact that we already have protests proves that there is a risk of the public getting very, very upset with this to the point they're prepared to go out on the streets to stop it.' Speaking about the protests at the hotel, he added: 'I think the anger here is completely understandable. I think they probably feel a bit taken advantage of because this was meant to be a family hotel. 'It was largely accepted two years ago on that basis. And now it feels like the Home Office is changing the goalposts again.' Since 2023, the 19-room hotel - in the centre of Diss - has been used to house asylum seeker families, including several women and children, but there are fears the change to single adult men could bring tension to the market town. Migrant hotels usually house two asylum seekers per room, meaning there could be at least 38 men bussed into Diss. But the council say the Home Office has not confirmed the numbers yet and they are 'incredibly disappointed' at the short notice. Mr Elmer said that it is crucial how 'safe people feel' in the 'very small tight-knit community' of Diss, adding: 'It is indisputably true that lots of young adult men make people feel less safe than women and children. 'I understand why people are angry, and I would never want belittle that anger. I think it is obviously concerning if there is a risk of anything becoming violent.' As well as the protests in Diss and Epping, demonstrations have already been planned in other parts of Norfolk and Worcestershire on Saturday, stoking fears more riots are on the way. Mr Elmer said it was 'absolutely true' that there is a risk of more violence on the streets this summer. Amid growing fears of further violence, Angela Rayner today told the Cabinet this morning they had to 'acknowledge the real concerns people have' about immigration and economic insecurity, hours after the anti-migrant clashes in Norfolk. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said today that Ms Rayner warned the Cabinet '17 of the 18 places that saw the worst of the disorder last summer ranked at the top of the most deprived, and while Britain was a successful multi-ethnic, multi-faith country, the Government had to show it had a plan to address people's concerns (and) provide opportunities for everyone to flourish'. The Deputy Prime Minister told the Cabinet they had to 'acknowledge the real concerns people have' about immigration and economic insecurity as fears of a 'summer of riots' grew 'I think she sees a link between concerns that people have about where the Government is acting on their behalf and acting in their interests, and a range of factors,' he said. 'High levels of immigration over the last 10 years, including illegal immigration, but also, importantly, the cost of living, economic security, the rapid pace of technological change and deindustrialisation and changes in the economy, these are all factors that have had an impact on our social fabric and social cohesion.' A spokesman for the Met Police said: 'Officers were in attendance at a protest outside a hotel in Canary Wharf on Tuesday, 22 July. 'No arrests were made. Officers remain in the area to deal with any incidents.'
