The son of a 91-year-old man who was killed in a house explosion in Wythenshawe has paid a heartfelt tribute to him.
Frank Burton was tragically found dead after a 'huge blast' in his home on Brownley Road on March 31. Police said there were 'no suspicious circumstances' and gas board Cadent said the gas mains and pipes 'did not contribute to or cause' the explosion.
The day after the blast, Mr Burton's brother Philip paid tribute to him at the scene outside his sibling's house. He described him as a 'character' and a 'good guy'.
Philip told the Manchester Evening News he believed the house to be 'fully electric'. He said he believed that his sibling may have bought a gas appliance to help with the 'cold snap and anticipating [the] rise in energy bills'. He said he feared any such appliance may have sparked the blast.
Mr Burton's son Paul has now penned his own tribute to his father, who he said gave him 'a grand upbringing'. In a statement issued through Greater Manchester Police, Paul said his dad lived in the house on Brownley Road for 66 years.
He said he grew up in Hulme, before moving to Northenden and then to his mother-in-law's house in Wythenshawe with his wife, Brenda. "My dad was a young eight-year-old boy when the Second World War broke out and survived being bombed out twice!", Paul said.
He said the family would enjoy holidays when Paul was younger, then Paul and his father would travel to the United States together every year after the death of his mother.
Paul added: "Saying that my dad was very artistic was an understatement! He was able to repair almost anything that people gave him - especially broken jewellery. When I was little, I would hear him in his workshop, with the door firmly closed - once, out came a hand-made life-sized Dalek!"
"I don't have any regrets at all, as I can't say 'I wished I had done this or that', I did everything I possibly could for both my parents and have very very happy memories of a grand upbringing", Paul said. "Goodnight Dad. Love from your son, Paul."
