NEIGHBOURS and friends of a 54-year-old woman who died in a house fire have spoken of their shock at her death.

Lynne McShane, of Dalton Street, was found dead in her front room after a house fire in her home on Thursday night.

She was discovered sat in her chair by firefighters after they received a telephone call from neighbours around 8.15pm last night.

Tributes have been paid from across the area by people who knew Mrs McShane, who lived alone, saying that she would be "greatly missed".

One friend Margaret Dougall, 63, grew concerned for Lynne when she rang her because she wouldn't answer the telephone.

She rushed over to her house knocked on the door but there was no answer, she then looked through the letter box and saw the hallway was filled with thick black smoke.

Margaret then ran across the street and another neighbour Christine Beaumont , 67, contacted the fire service.

Firecrews arrived at the scene around 8.15pm where they discovered the 54-year-old had died.

Margaret Dougall, of Dalton Street, said: "She will missed by everyone who knew her in Dalton Street. She was a nice lady.

"I am devastated at losing a good friend.

"She knew her own mind and she always got on well with everybody.

"Everybody liked her she was fun and lived here for quite a number of years.

"Everyone who knew her is upset."

Lynne suffered from arthritis and would only leave her house once a week,on Wednesdays, to go into town and do her shopping.

Police have said that she had fallen asleep as a result of medication she had taken. They are not treating the fire as suspicious.

James Morris, 40, who lived two doors away, said: "When I first moved on the street about five years ago Margaret would ask people about me.

"We soon became friends and I would go round to her house every morning to find out the gossip.

"She will be missed in the street. We didn't expect anything like this to happen."