Fundraiser for husband tops £200k after tragedy

MORE than £200,000 has been raised in donations to help a police officer after his wife and two children died in a house fire on Boxing Day.

- ROD MINCHIN

Tom Shearman attempted to rescue his family but was beaten back by the severity of the fire that destroyed his home in Brimscombe, near Stroud, Gloucestershire.

His wife, Fionnghuala Shearman, known as Nu, died alongside her children, Eve, aged seven, and four-year-old son Ohner.

Mr Shearman, an officer with Gloucestershire Police, was taken to hospital for treatment but has since been discharged.

A GoFundMe fundraising campaign was launched on Sunday and almost 10,000 people have made donations totalling over £210,000.

The original £110,000 target has since been increased to £350,000.

Temporary Chief Constable Maggie Blyth yesterday said the bodies of the two children and the family dog had now been recovered from the property.

The body of a woman in her late 30s had been recovered earlier.