A MOTHER and son murdered in an arson attack have been named.

Gina Ingles, 34, and her four-year-old boy Milo were killed when their house in Croxden Way, Eastbourne, was torched on Tuesday.

Their bodies were discovered on Wednesday after being “unaccounted for”.

Police have launched a murder investigation and Ms Ingles’s partner, 26-year-old Toby Jarrett, is in an induced coma with severe burns and other injuries.

The fire broke out at 1.20am, ripping through the roof and burning the staircase inside the two-storey house.

Neighbours said there was “nothing anyone could have done” to help and described the the fire as “horrendous”.

One witness, who asked not to be named, said: “We were woken up by the neighbours at about 12.50am.

“They were shouting ‘fire’ and saying ‘get the fire brigade’.

“I looked out the window and saw flames coming out of the front door.

“It was like an inferno of flames coming out of the front door and window.

“Then the bathroom window exploded and that set the tree in front of the house on fire.

“Before you knew it, the roof was on fire.

“Then you could see the flames coming out of the rear of the house and the smoke and everything.

“It was horrendous. It was horrible.

“There’s nothing anyone could have done.

“We couldn’t get in but we didn’t hear or see anyone inside.

“We didn’t know there was anyone in there.

“It took a few hours to put the flames out.

“The stairs have gone inside the house and there is no first floor.

“Everybody round here is a bit shocked that somebody could do this to a young family.”

Police are now appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Detective Chief Inspector Mike Ashcroft, of the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, who is leading the investigation, said: “This is a dreadful incident and the worst fears have been realised. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and the whole community at this time.

“I urge anyone with any information about this or any footage of the fire to contact us.”

Anyone with information about the arson should call Sussex Police on 101 quoting Operation Druffield.