Family head to Spain after dad killed in horror blaze

A CITY family were preparing to fly out to Spain after reading in a newspaper that their father had died in a fire at his home inland from Gibraltar.

David Brookes, 59, a former Royal Artillery warrant officer and an ex-policeman, was killed by smoke in the blaze in the town of Jimena de la Frontera last Wednesday.

His wife Florence, 58, was found by a passerby in hysterics in the street outside. The fire was already out when the man entered the house and found the body of Mr Brookes in a bedroom.

Mrs Brookes, who comes from Edinburgh, is recovering from severe shock in hospital.

But her family in Edinburgh did not know about the tragedy until they read about it in a newspaper on Friday.

Mr Brookes' son Paul, 37, said: "It was awful to read this in the paper. It was a dreadful shock.

"It seems there was a breakdown in communications and the British consulate was not informed about dad's death."

He said two of his brothers were set to fly to Spain yesterday.

Spanish authorities say Mr Brookes died of smoke inhalation.