This is the first picture of a schoolboy who died after a fire ripped through a block of flats in south east London.

Fabian Henry, 12, died after a fire broke out at his home in Orchard Gardens Lewisham, at around midnight today, his family have said.

Images from the scene show the fire spreading rapidly, with flames shooting from flat to flat.

Ten fire engines, police and paramedics were called to the scene, but Fabian was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

A woman, aged 54, was taken to hospital by paramedics. Her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.

Witnesses described hearing his mother shout ‘my boy, my boy, please help my boy’ as emergency services tried to save him.

She has joined members of his family at the block this morning, where they have read tributes and looked at the flowers left at the scene by neighbours.

His aunt Suezette Edwards told Metro: ‘He was a big Manchester United fan. His father had died from cancer. He was lovely. The family wanted him to be a doctor. He was also very good at football. We are all heartbroken.’

The schoolboy’s former teacher, who was at the scene, said: ‘He had a great heart. He was always the captain always up for everything. He was a talented footballer he could play any position. I taught him for seven years at primary.

‘When he sees me he still gives me a big hug and says he scored yesterday. He was a pleasure to teach. I wish all kids were like him.’

The father of his best friend who visited the scene told Metro: ‘He was on a school trip with my boy boy yesterday. They were going to meet up to play football today. The boy lost his father recently.

‘My son only just found out about it on the way to school and he turned round and came home. He was too upset to go, he’s gutted. The boy was lovely my son has lost his best friend.’

The investigation is being led by the police with fire service experts also trawling for clues as to how the fatal blaze started.

A witness said: ‘There was a woman shouting ‘my boy, my boy, please help my boy’ as the blaze ravaged the building.

They added: ‘The woman had jumped out of the window she was desperate. The fire was so intense it was spreading fast.’

Ernie Anderson, 67, told Metro: ‘I head a massive big bang it went up like a tinderbox I heard screaming it was terrible. It sounded like a boy screaming for help.

‘The firefighters arrived I saw the firefighters on the balcony. The police were here too.

‘People let off fireworks in the middle of the night here I thought that could have caused it.’

Forensics are at the scene using specialist thermal imaging kits to identify what the cause of the fire could be.

A blue tarpaulin has been placed over the windows of the flat, which was completely destroyed. A police officer is also on guard outside the block.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: ‘Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters tackled a fire at a block of maisonettes on Lewisham Road, Lewisham.

‘A maisonette split between the ground and first floors was destroyed by the fire. Part of of a maisonette split between the second and third floors was damaged by the fire along with a small part of the external fascia of the building.

‘One woman was treated on scene by London Ambulance Service. Three further people left the building before the Brigade arrived.

‘The Brigade’s Drone Team were deployed to provide the Incident Commander with an aerial view of the fire.

‘Control Officers took the first of 14 calls at 2355 and mobilised crews to the scene from Greenwich, Lewisham, Lee Green and surrounding fire stations. The fire was under control by 0202.

‘The cause of the fire is under investigation.’

Detective Chief Inspector Danian Reid, from the Met’s local investigations team in south east London, said: ‘This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with everyone involved.

‘We continue to work alongside investigators from the London Fire Brigade to establish the cause of the fire.

‘We understand the impact this will have on the community and there will be local neighbourhood officers, and other emergency services, in the area as enquiries continue.’

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the London Fire Brigade but is not believed to be suspicious at this stage.