Cypriot couple killed in London house fire sparked by candle

A Cypriot couple died in a house fire in north London, after a memorial candle ignited nearby materials in their home during the early hours of January 16.

As reported in local media on Friday, Andreas and Sophia Lescou were rescued by firefighters from their two-storey semi-detached house on Albemarle Road in Barnet but were pronounced dead at the scene by ambulance service crews.

The cause of death was smoke inhalation.

The London fire brigade said it received the emergency call at 1.45am, dispatching four fire engines and around 25 firefighters from Barnet, Southgate and Finchley.

The fire was confined to the ground floor and was brought under control shortly after 3am.

Fire investigators concluded that the blaze was caused by a lit candle.

Family members told community newspaper Paroikiaki on Friday, that the couple regularly lit a memorial candle near religious icons and photographs of deceased relatives.

A fire brigade spokesperson said candles remain “one of the most common causes of fatal house fires” and warned they should never be left unattended or placed near flammable objects.

The brigade advised the use of electric or LED candles as a safer alternative.

Andreas Lescou was born in Famagusta on November 9, 1935, while Sophia Lescou was born on November 21, 1935, in Pano Kivides, Limassol.

They met in Vauxhall, London, in 1958 and married the following year.

The couple built a successful family business, running Lescou’s delicatessen with shops in several areas of London, including Swiss Cottage, Palmers Green, and Hendon, as well as a branch in Limassol.

They were well known within the Cypriot community in the UK.

They are survived by their daughters, Despina and Chrystalla, and their grandchildren Amelia, Sophie, Gregory, Phytos and Andreas.

Their joint funeral will be held at 11am on Thursday, February 12, at the Greek Orthodox Church of St Catherine in Barnet, followed by burial at New Southgate Cemetery.