A WOMAN died when a blaze ripped through her Bishop Auckland home yesterday morning.

Doctors at Bishop Auckland General Hospital were unable to save the 50-year-old, who was trapped inside the bungalow, in Wesley Grove, when fire engulfed the property.

A police sergeant and paramedic were the first to arrive, after a neighbour saw smoke and flames coming from the building and called 999 shortly after 11am.

They tried to get through the front and back doors but were beaten back by smoke and flames. Firefighters arrived a minute later and were able to force their way inside, wearing breathing apparatus, to pull the occupant clear. She was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead a short time later.

The woman is not being named until all her family are informed of the tragedy, but a neighbour said: "I didn't know her very well but she was always very friendly and seemed to have a close family. This is tragic."

Police and fire officers are investigating the cause of the fire, believed to have started in a rear bedroom.

An inquest into the woman's death is expected to open in the next few days.