TRIBUTES have been paid to an elderly woman who died in a house fire last weekend.

Freda Thompson died after her electric fire set alight some nearby objects, starting the blaze in the living room of her dormer bungalow in Barningham Road, near Newsham, on Saturday, January 24.

Police have today (Friday, January 30) formally identified the 88-year-old, from Barningham, after an inquest into her death was opened and adjourned yesterday (Thursday, Janaury 29).

Her son Mark paid tribute to his mother, and said: “My mum was a lovely person who loved nothing more than doing her garden and chatting to people.

"She was loved by everyone who knew her and we are absolutely devastated that she has been taken from us by such a tragic event.

“Her death has left a big hole in our family and she will be sadly missed by everyone who knew her.”

Fire crews were called at 10.30am after an automatic alarm triggered a call to alert the fire brigade and the blaze was extinguished at around 11.30am.

Carl Boasman, group manager with the North Yorkshire fire brigade, said the fire was an accident.

Speaking on the day of the fire, a resident of a nearby property, who asked not to be named, said: "I knew it was bad when I saw all the fire engines go past.

"There was quite a lot of smoke and the fire engines were followed by ambulances.

"That's when I realised something major was happening."