New CCTV in hunt for arson killers who set off industrial-sized firework in man’s home

Police have released new footage of a group of people who planted an industrial-sized firework inside a man’s house in a bid to catch the killers eight years on.

Tony Nicholls, 56, was seriously injured when a group of people burst into his home in Tile Cross, Birmingham, and set off the firework.

It contained 200 tubes of explosives and detonated in the hallway at around 11.20 pm on November 2, 2017.

Mr Nicholls was trapped in an upstairs bedroom by the fire, which gutted the property in Birchtrees Drive, and died in hospital five days later from burns and injuries linked to smoke inhalation, an inquest heard in 2019.

Five men aged 31, 30, 23, 22 and 19, along with a 19-year-old woman, were previously arrested on suspicion of murder and released under investigation by West Midlands Police.

Now, police have released new CCTV showing a group of people approaching his home and then running away.

Detective Superintendent Jim Munro said: ‘You can see from the size of the firework that it was always going to cause significant damage if let off indoors.

‘The firework is called a Colossus Finale 600 Series. It’s industrial-sized and unusual, and we still believe someone out there may have information about where it came from. It’s hard to imagine just how awful Tony’s final moments must have been, and we are determined to get justice for him and his family.

‘We are releasing these new images now as we know that over time, allegiances can change. People who didn’t feel willing or able to speak up at the time may now feel very differently.’

DS Munro said the department has received information about the attack in recent years, but has been unable to charge anyone.

Crimestoppers is also launching a £20,000 reward for information passed directly to them in relation to Mr Nicholls’ death.

Speaking eight years after his death, Mr Nicholls’ daughter Fiona Nicholls said her life has been hell since her dad died.

‘My dad was my everything. He was funny, witty, and he worked hard all his life,’ she said.

‘The last eight years have been hell. I relive it every day. Every bonfire night, I’m anxious; it just brings back the trauma of what happened to my dad. It’s horrible, I live in a nightmare every day.

‘I need anyone with information to come forward. They need to do the right thing. They know something, and they’ve got to come forward and tell the police what they know. I need the answers, and justice for me and my dad.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.