A HEARTBROKEN father today said his family could finally look to the future -- four months after his wife and one of his sons died after a blaze which wrecked their home.

Brian Stoddard has moved his family into their new terrace home in Accrington after spending a month living in a homeless hostel in the town.

Brian, his two sons -- one of who has Down's syndrome -- and two daughters were forced to move into the hostel after an offer made by a housing association for accommodation in Charter Street was withdrawn.

The family had been living in Rutland Street with one of Brian's daughters since the fire, in May, but had to leave when she moved. The blaze gutted their Lonsdale Street home and led to the deaths of Brian's wife Gaynor, 37, and his youngest son, Brandon, four. An inquest heard that Brandon had started the fire. The family's new home has been arranged by Century 21 estate agents, who contacted the family after reading about their plight in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

Clutching the keys to his new home, and flanked by sons Aaron, 11, Dean, nine and daughter Melanie, 15, said: "We finally feel as if we can start putting our lives back together.

"We have gone through so much over the past few months. We have been to hell and back and the housing situation hasn't helped at all.

"We knew things couldn't get any worse when we moved into the hostel. It was our only choice. It has been our worst nightmare.

"So many things have happened we haven't been able to look to the future. I think we can do that now.

"I am also pleased it is relatively near to our old house." Their home will contain salvaged belongings from their former home, including a family portrait and a holiday snap of Brandon taken just a fortnight before he died.

Brian added: "I will be putting smoke alarms in if they aren't there already."