Clipstone dad sets the record straight about Mick Philpott

File photo dated 14/3/2006 of Mick Philpott who was today found guilty of manslaughter at Nottingham Crown Court over the house fire in Derby which killed his six children. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday April 2, 2013. See PA story COURTS Fire. Photo credit should read: Rui Vieira/PA Wire

Andrew Allsop (56), of Highfield Road, was asked by Philpott to look after his 14-year-old son just a few weeks before the fatal fire at Victory Road, Derby.

The boy was staying with Mr Allsop at the time of the fire, but has since moved into local authority care.

The Clipstone dad, who first met Philpott 24 years ago as a regular customer at a cob shop he owned in Pleasley, said he had known nothing about his murky past until his and wife Mairead’s long-running Nottingham Crown Court trial.

“I only knew he (Philpott) never used to let his kids play out the front and when he came to see us he never let the kids out the van,” said Mr Allsop.

“I did not even know he had been in prison - then we found out he had been dogging and things just got worse and worse. It absolutely disgusted us. He should be made to pay the penalty for what he has done.”

Mr Allsop appeared on ITV’s Daybreak show following the manslaughter conviction of the couple and friend Paul Mosley on Tuesday (April 2nd).

“The reason I appeared on Daybreak was I wanted to make it known the Philpotts are not my family,” he said.

He said Philpott had contacted him after returning from his holiday in April last year and asked him to look after his son while Mairead and himself sorted out some problems.

Mr Allsop said the teenager had been traumatised after the loss of so many brothers and sisters and was now worried about going back to school.

He added: “They (the Philpotts) will be paying for this for the rest of their lives - you would never have thought they could do something like this.”