The married couple who died in a house fire in Pembrokeshire were "devoted to each other", their distraught family have said. Margaret and David Edwards, "well known and respected" members of the community in St Dogmaels, died in the early hours of Sunday morning after a fire ripped through their home on Church Lane.
In a statement released by the family on Wednesday, they said: "We are distraught by our loss of Margaret and David Edwards, who were devoted to each other, having been together for 35 years and were well known and respected members of the St Dogmaels community.
“We would like to thank everyone for their support at this horrific time, it has meant so much to both families. We would now like time to grieve and would ask to be given privacy in which to do so."
On Monday morning, many of those in the local community were reeling from the shock of what had happened the previous day. As emergency services arrived at the scene just after 1.30am, 11 people were evacuated from their homes due to a gas leak. All of them were put up by the White Hart Community Inn while local residents rallied round looking for places for them to stay.
Tracy Knight, the pub manager, said Margaret - known locally as Mags - had celebrated her 55th birthday in the same pub on the Friday, just two days before she died. The couple were frequently seen going about their business in the village and were known to almost everyone.
David, 60, was known by all as Dai Jewson because he worked at Jewsons when he first arrived in the area. He had retired early to care for his wife as she suffered from poor health and was confined to a wheelchair.
Sally Martin, postmistress in the village post office, said her own daughter had health issues and when David had found out, he'd popped round for a cup of tea to offer advice and support. "That was the measure of the kind of man he was," she said on Monday.
She added that "it was impossible not to like Mags", who was "born and bred" in the area. Sally said she could remember Mags' mother - a "fearsome woman" - who cleaned the local school.
Dyfed-Powys Police said the investigation into the cause of the fire - by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and police - is continuing.
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