A woman in her 80s has died in a house fire in Darlington.

Worried neighbours called 999 and reported a fire at a property on Coxwold Drive at 9.53am on Saturday. They told County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) that a house's smoke alarms were going off and it was filling with thick smoke.

Control room operators immediately dispatched two appliances from Darlington and a third from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. The first crew arrived on scene within five minutes, entered the property and located a woman in her 80s. The property had been unlocked by neighbours.

Despite the best efforts of firefighters and paramedics, the woman sadly passed away a short while later. Firefighters, wearing breathing apparatus, extinguished the fire using hose reels and began ventilating the property.

Paul Cummings, Duty Group Manager for CDDFRS, said: "As a fire service, this is never the outcome we hope for and first and foremost, our thoughts are with the family and friends of those affected by this tragic incident.

"We ask that people give her family and loved ones the privacy they need as they attempt to come to terms with this tragedy. Any death in the region is a tragedy and we are working hard alongside Durham Constabulary in a joint investigation into the circumstances around the fire - which are not believed to be suspicious."

Mr Cummings said teams from the service have been out working with local residents in the streets surrounding the area of the fire offering reassurance, advice and home fire safety checks. He said: "This home was fitted with working smoke alarms, allowing neighbours to call 999.

"While sadly this has not been enough on this occasion to save a life, it did mean our firefighters were called before the fire had a chance to spread to neighbouring properties. Tragic incidents like this remind us of just how devastating fires in the home can be and we encourage all households to have a home fire safety visit."

To book a free home fire safety visit, please call the service on 0345 223 4221 or visit the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) website to find out more.