A WOMAN has died after a fire at her County Durham home.

Emergency services were called to the blaze in Middleham Walk, Spennymoor, at 2.45pm after smoke was seen coming from an upstairs window and a passer-by rang 999.

When fire crews and police arrived at the scene they found a woman's body inside the property.

Detective Sergeant Gareth Hodgson confirmed that nobody else was in the house at the time.

No further details have been released but she was described locally as a friendly woman who lived with her husband and who had a grown-up family.

The neighbour who raised the alarm said he realised there was a fire after his son said he could smell smoke and quickly feared it would end in tragedy.

He said: "I'd just got in the car when we smelled smoke, fortunately the car was pointing towards the house and I saw smoke coming from the bathroom window.

"I called 999, ran over and saw smoke coming out the front bedroom window and the roof tiles and could hear a smoke alarm.

"I was shouting over the fence to see if anyone was there but within a minute it really took hold, I knocked on the neighbouring doors because I was worried it would spread but nobody was in.

"The fire brigade were there in a crack and really organised, a neighbour had a key to help them get in but it was too late.

"It is an absolute tragedy, so sad.

"I only knew her to say hello but in a quiet neighbourhood like this it will really be felt."

A joint investigation has been launched by Durham police and County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service to ascertain the cause of the fire.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 and ask for Bishop Auckland CID.