FIFTEEN years ago, a family was ripped apart when mum Andrea Daly was killed in an arson attack on her home.

No one has ever been charged or convicted in connection with her death despite numerous public appeals by both her family and Essex Police.

Today, the Echo has a very simple message: Find her killer.

No family could ever get over a tragedy such as what befell the Daly family.

Someone out there knows what happened. And they know why.

We cannot imagine the pain and loss Andrea’s family have experienced.

But it is not too late to give them justice.

We are making a direct appeal.

If you know who carried out the attack, please let the police know.

If you are worried about recriminations, information can be passed to the authorities anonymously.

The most important thing is to give Andrea’s family justice.

It is never too late to do the right thing.

Andrea and her two sons were asleep when the blaze was started deliberately through the letterbox of their home, in Rochford Road, Southend, at 3.30am on Thursday, November 10, 2005.

Brothers Richard and Stuart, then aged 20 and 17, jumped to safety from a first floor window.

Echo:

Scene - the family home, in Rochford Road, Southend

Echo:

Wedding day - Andrea and Keith cut the cake

But mum Andrea, 40, became trapped in her bedroom and died as a result of inhaling smoke.

Her husband Keith was working away from home in Lincolnshire when he received the devastating call informing him his wife of 20 years had died.

Since the tragic death, extensive enquiries have been carried out to find those responsible.

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Damage - the fire spread throughout the home

But despite these efforts, the perpetrators remain at large and their motives for starting the fire are unknown.

Five years ago, on the tenth anniversary of his mum’s death, Andrea’s son Richard, now 33, launched a fresh appeal to find his mum’s killer.

In an emotive interview, he said: “I could hear loud crackling and my brother came running over, burst open the window and dived out of the window like he was diving into a swimming pool.

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Mum - Andrea Daly

“I tried to go to the door to pull the handle open. My hand was bubbling when I touched the handle.

“All I could hear was my mum screaming and bellowing. I realised I couldn’t do anything.”

Urging people with information about his mum’s death, he added: “For me, if it was one of my friends who done it, [I would say] sorry mate but I’m grassing you up because that’s someone’s mum - and now it’s someone’s grandmother.

Husband Keith added: “If I was to come face to face with the person who done it, I don’t know what I would say.

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Anguish - son Richard

“But what I will say is that i wouldn’t want anybody, friend or enemy, to go through the pain that we’ve been through.

“We struggled. The person who did this has been out there with this on his or her mind. But somebody out there must have a conscience.”

At the time, police appealed for three cars seen in the Rochford Road area in the hours prior to the arson.

These were a white Suzuki Vitara with a black roof and wide tyres. Witnesses saw this car in Eastwoodbury Crescent near to the entrance of Southend Airport along with three men and a petrol can.

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Sadness - husband Keith

The second car was a black four wheel drive BMW which was either an X3 or an X5 series.

It had a distinctive front grille with the words BMW written on it in italics. It was seen near to the junction of Eastwoodbury Crescent and Rochford Road.

The third car is a white Ford Fiesta seen parked with its engine running near to the scene an hour before the arson, which happened at 3.30am.

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Missed - Andrea Daly at home

Essex Police said no unsolved homicide investigation is ever closed and urged anyone with information on the incident to contact the Brentwood Major Investigation Team on 101 or email scd.appeals.essex@essex.pnn.police.uk

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or crimestoppers-uk.org.