A Latvian couple died in a blaze at a Bradford flat after contractors used naked flames to melt ice on the roof as a safety precaution, an inquest heard.

The home of Ilva Zvirskija and Uldis Stepe, in Cecil Avenue, Great Horton, also had a “dangerously” faulty boiler and a defective fire alarm system, the hearing at Bradford Coroner’s Court heard yesterday.

Post-mortem examinations revealed Miss Zvirskija, 39, and Mr Stepe, 37, had both suffered carbon monoxide poisoning but it was not possible to determine whether it had been caused by the fire or the faulty boiler.

Fire safety officer Rick Hemingway said: “Hot works of roofing materials has caused a smouldering fire to occur, undetected by contractors, which has developed into a flaming fire entering the (roof) void.”

The fire alarm system in the property had damage to detectors, he said. In an interview transcript read to the court, roofing contractor Hugh Malone said flames had been used to melt ice on the roof on January 5 and 6, 2009, to ensure workers could walk on it safely.

The couple died in the fire on January 8. Recording a verdict of accidental death, acting Bradford Coroner Paul Marks ruled the fire had been the source of the carbon monoxide which had poisoned the couple.

But he said: “Although the boiler was defective it was less likely to be the source of the carbon monoxide, but it cannot be proven one way or the other.”

Miss Zvirskija also had high levels of paracetamol in her blood and traces of epilepsy drug phenobarbitone, which were said to have contributed to her death.

Government health and safety inspector David Green told the court his probe into the fire would be concluded after the inquest and inspectors were still considering the landlord’s position.

He said the Health and Safety Executive would decide whether to bring any criminal proceedings.

He said there were no landlord safety certificates for the gas appliances that were in the flat and the boiler was deficient and capable of producing “significant levels” of carbon monoxide.

British Gas engineer Graham Wood, who had carried out an investigation, said other gas installations in the property had been found to have “dangerous faults and an overall lack of maintenance”.

Latvian minister Gita Putce was at the hearing to represent the families of the couple. She said: “They will be sorry it has been found to be accidental and no-one has been found at fault.

“And they will be sorry they have had to wait two years to get a death certificate, they don’t understand why it has taken so long.”

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