THE grandmother who died in the Cwmbran blaze with her daughter and six-month-old granddaughter had previously lost her own twin boys, friends said.

Kim Buckley, 46, her daughter Kayleigh, 17, and granddaughter Kimberley were all killed when fire ripped through their home at Tillsland, Coed Eva, during the early hours of Tuesday.

Baby Kimberley, a twin who had been born three months prematurely, had only been brought home from hospital the day before after spending six months at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport.

Her twin sister Angel died shortly after birth due to the babies being born premature.

But Mrs Buckley’s friend Vicky Augustus said the grandmother had lost twin boys some time back.

Mrs Augustus, who runs the Waterloo Inn, Cwmbran, with husband Paul, said: “Kim lost twin sons herself so when she found out Kayleigh was having twins, she was over the moon.

“When Kayleigh went into premature labour, she was devastated.

She kept going for Kimberley coming home though.

“She had got everything prepared for the baby coming home.

She had banners and balloons up and everything.”

Mrs Augustus said she had first got to know Mrs Buckley around 19 months ago when she took over the pub where Mrs Buckley was a regular.

She said: “The last couple of months she hadn’t been here that often as she was preparing for the baby, but before that she was here nearly every Saturday.

“She was the life and soul and she loved dressing up. Every party, she was there. We had an army night, Hawaiian, Hallowe’en, all sorts.”

The pub has now started a memorial fund for the family and also paid tribute to Mrs Buckley by playing You Raise Me Up by her favourite band Westlife in the pub on Tuesday night at a loud volume with the windows and doors all open.

A book of condolence will also be at the pub for people to pop in and sign before it is passed on to the family.

A statement from staff at the Royal Gwent Hospital’s neonatal unit said: “All the staff on the neonatal unit at the Royal Gwent Hospital were deeply shocked to hear about this tragic event.

“Inevitably a close relationship develops between staff and the babies we care for and their families.

“Kimberley was such a fighter and for her, her mother and her grandmother to lose their lives in such tragic circumstances is devastating.

“Our thoughts are with t