TROWBRIDGE’S Polish community will be key to finding the truth behind the death of a woman who received fatal burns in a house fire in January, according to one of the officers leading the murder inquiry.

Police believe Agnieszka Swierczynska-Jaros, 37, was in her room in the early hours of January 13 when a blaze was deliberately started at the four-bedroom house on Frome Road.

She was rescued by firefighters and rushed to the specialist burns unit at Morriston Hospital in Swansea, but she died from her injuries at the end of January.

Two men, aged 44 and 55, who police say were ‘connected to the address’, were arrested on suspicion of committing arson with intent to endanger life on January 15 and have since been released under investigation. Now Wiltshire Police has upgraded the inquiry to a murder investigation.

“This is proving to be a complex case, but we can confirm that we are treating Agnieszka’s death as murder,” said Detective Inspector Jim Taylor, from Brunel Major Crime Investigation Team.

His colleague DCI Jem Carter urged the Trowbridge public to ‘get behind them’ to help catch those responsible. This week members of Trowbridge’s Polish community pointed out that the community is large and contains several different elements, but backed the police

appeal for help.

DCI Carter told the Wiltshire Times: “We are looking behind whatever the motive might be for this attack,” he told the Wiltshire Times.

“If anyone has seen anything suspicious around that location shortly after 1.30am on January 13, or heard things in the community, particularly within the Polish community, we need them to come forward. Our community policing team is trying to make inroads into the local Polish community as I do believe that the key to this investigation will be amongst the local Polish community.

“We are working very closely with forensic scientists, forensic fire investigators and the public to piece together what might have caused the fire.

“The coroner has released the body back to her family and they are making arrangements in terms of a funeral.

“We need to build up a picture of Agnieszka, who she was, how she lived her life, who she associated with, and we want to build up a picture of events that led up to the fire.”

DCI Carter said that the delay over launching the murder investigation had been partly due to difficulties in contacting Miss Swierczynska-Jaros’ family and formally identifying her.

She moved to England nine years ago, eight of which she spent in Plymouth, only moving to Trowbridge last August. DCI Carter said she did not have a job and lived a ‘hand to mouth existence’. sharing the Frome Road house with a number of other people, also understood to be from the Polish community.

“It is a multi-occupancy dwelling with a number of different people moving through it on a regular basis,” he said.

Members of Trowbridge’s Polish community have pointed out that it is large and contains several different elements, while backing the police appeal for help. Polish Social Club member, Justyna Suszek, said: “I think the Polish community is quite divided. Some attend the social club and the church but others don’t.

“It is difficult to think who would have known her as she was only here for a short time.

“I hope the community can help because this is very serious.”

Kate Basinska, who helps run the Polish Saturday School for more than 130 families in Trowbridge, said: “I think there is a good relationship between the police and the Polish community. They have been very helpful in the neighbourhood, in my opinion.

“I have helped them before when acting as a translator for Polish people in the past but I am not the person that knows about this sort of news.

“I also don’t think it makes a difference if it is the Polish community or any other community.”

Contact Brunel MCIT on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111.

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