A 98-year-old Tenbury Wells woman has died after a fire swept through her bungalow completely destroying it.

Neighbour Elma Meredith said her friend of 14 years Pauline Jones had died following the blaze on Saturday morning.

Firefighters found Mrs Jones, a widow, collapsed on the floor in the bedroom of her home in Mount Orchard in Tenbury. But attempts by paramedics to revive her failed.

Alec Mackie, of Hereford and Worcester Fire Service, said early investigations by the fire service and police pointed to a discarded cigarette end being the cause of the blaze.

He said four crews arrived at about 5.45am after a member of the public raised the alarm. They found flames shooting through the roof of the bungalow.

He said: “The fire was in the living room, which was badly damaged and had also spread to part of the roof. 

Efforts

“Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus found the lady still, I believe, conscious, on the floor of her bedroom. They carried her outside, by which time an ambulance had arrived and she was pronounced dead by paramedics.”

John Hawker, West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman, said: “Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of ambulance crews, nothing could be done to save the woman and she was confirmed dead at the scene.” 

Mrs Meredith today paid tribute to her friend and said she was a very youthful and intelligent lady.

Mrs Jones bought the bungalow in 1970 after retiring as headteacher at Pensax Primary School, near Stockton-on-Teme, she added.

Mrs Jones’s husband Hayden died in 1999 and she leaves a cousin, a niece and nephew.

Mrs Meredith said: “We didn’t hear a thing. I was out of bed because someone knocked on the door. I fled to fetch my key. Nothing survived, it was just a massive fire.”

She added: “For 14 years I was going in and out to her checking she was all right. I used to go round in the evenings to watch a programme with her.”

The coroner for Worcestershire has been informed and a post mortem examination is expected to be carried out.

By Sophie Bignall