A 23-year-old man has appeared in court charged with murder following a house fire that killed a seven-year-old girl and her aunt.

Officers were called to reports of a blaze at Birchington Avenue in Grangetown near Middlesbrough at 5.23am on 26 August.

Natalie McDonald, 34, and her niece Valentina Foster both died while four people were injured.

Jaden Wright, 23, of no fixed address, appeared before Teesside Magistrates’ Court for a hearing which lasted less than two minutes.

He briefly greeted his solicitor as he was brought into the dock.

Wright was remanded in custody to appear before Teesside Crown Court on Thursday.

The court clerk outlined that he faces two murder charges, two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent and two charges of attempted grievous bodily harm with intent.

The charges relate to the six people in the house, two of whom cannot be identified by the media due to their age.

Cleveland Police said on Friday that a 48-year-old woman was in the Royal Victoria Infirmary in a “critical but stable” condition, and a 27-year-old man was at James Cook University hospital receiving treatment.

Two teenage girls were both discharged after suffering non-life-threatening injuries.

The clerk also said Wright faced a separate charge of intentional strangulation, said to have happened on the day before the fire.

Wright, with dark hair and wearing a grey T-shirt, was remanded in custody.

“This has been a truly tragic incident, and my thoughts remain with the families of all those involved,” Katie Smith, senior investigating officer from Northumbria police, said. “I would like to thank local residents for their support and patience during this complex investigation. Anyone who may still have information, or has any concerns, can still submit information using the Major Incident Public Portal.”

Katie Nicolson, chief crown prosecutor for CPS North East, said that prosecutors worked closely with the police to establish that there was sufficient evidence to bring the case to court.

“We remind all concerned that proceedings against the defendant are active and he has the right to a fair trial,” she said. “It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information which could in anyway prejudice these proceedings.”

A 31-year-old man who was also arrested in connection with the case was released without charge on Sunday.

Police said on Friday that a 48-year-old woman was in the Royal Victoria Infirmary in a “critical but stable” condition and a 27-year-old man was at the James Cook University hospital receiving treatment.

Two teenage girls were both discharged after suffering non-life-threatening injuries in the fire.