AN 84-year-old widow has died after a fire at her Blackburn home.

Pensioner Freda Read, was found in the living room of her terrace house in Accrington Road.

Police and firefighters were called after window cleaners spotted damage at the home yesterday.

The fire service said the blaze was out when they arrived at the house around 7.45am.

However, the house was heavily smoke-logged and part of the living room was damaged.

The cause of the fire was last night still unknown and forensic investigations were being carried out.

Mrs Read is understood to have lived alone since the death of her husband Eric two years ago.

Neighbours said they were deeply upset after learning of the death of the ‘friendly’ pensioner.

Shiaida and Mohammed Arif, who live next door, described Mrs Read as a ‘lovely lady’.

Mrs Arif said: “She was such a nice, friendly lady.

She has lived here for close to thirty years and everyone knows one another around here.

“She would always have her apron on and her house was spotless.

“She always had time for you, to have a chat.

“She stopped going out as much when her husband died. It really affected, her but she was still very active.

“Her son and daughter-in-law would come round two or three times a week and I would check on her regularly.

“I know that she helped the window cleaners out by letting them keep their ladders in her yard. They would call round for them and she would make them a brew.

“It is just awful that something like this could happen to her. I can’t stop thinking about it”

Hairdresser Kelly Fardella, who works at nearby Carmela stylists, said: “She has been a customer her for years, she was a great laugh.

“She was just a lovely woman. She didn’t go out much, but she was a lively, happy lady. We are all shocked that this could happen to her, it is terrible.”

Lancashire Police have launched a joint investigation with Lancashire Fire and Rescue.

Det Insp Mark Winstanley, from Blackburn CID, said: “As a result of inquiries at the scene there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstance. A forensic examination is under way. The matter will now be reported to the coroner.”

A spokesman for the fire service said: “The fire was out some time before the arrival of firefighters and crews had to break in.

“An investigation is now under way where we are assisting the police to establish the cause of the fire.”