A British former child star has died in the wildfires tearing through Los Angeles.

Rory Callum Sykes, who appeared on the TV programme Kiddie Kapers in the 1990s, died of carbon monoxide poisoning at his family’s estate in Malibu on Wednesday, his mother said.

Shelley Sykes said she attempted to save her 32-year-old son, who was born with cerebral palsy, by putting out the flames on his cottage, but found that their water had been turned off.

She rushed off to get help from the local fire department, but returned to find the cottage had been destroyed.

“He said, ‘mom leave me’ and no mom can leave their kid. And I’ve got a broken arm, I couldn’t lift him, I couldn’t move him,” Ms Sykes told Australia’s 10 News First.

In a message on social media, she described herself as “totally heartbroken” about the death of her “beautiful son”.

“I couldn’t put out the cinders on his roof with a hose because the water was switched off by Las Virgenes Municipal Water,” she continued.

“Even the 50 brave fire fighters had no water all day!”

“He was my baby and he died needlessly,” she added. Ms Sykes is said to be considering taking legal action over her son’s death, although it is unclear whether this is against local authorities or the water company.