An 81-year-old woman died when her faulty electric blanket caught fire.

The blaze broke out in Conway Drive, Banbury, at 10.15pm on Saturday.

Emergency services were alerted by neighbours who spotted smoke coming from an upstairs window and heard a smoke detector sounding.

Firefighters from Banbury broke in and carried out a search of the home. But they found the pensioner dead in a first-floor bedroom.

Assistant divisional fire officer Ashley Gurr said: "The lady's electric blanket caught fire when she was in bed.

"The blanket showed signs of deterioration but we've got no way of telling how old it was."

He advised members of the public to protect themselves by taking advantage of a free electric blanket testing service, which the fire service offers at venues around the county together with staff from trading standards. He said although a smoke detector on the ground floor had been activated, a second alarm on the first floor was not operating properly.

However, because the fire broke out while the pensioner was in bed, the tragedy may not have been prevented even if both alarms had been working.

The rest of the pensioner's house escaped serious damage in the blaze.

Dave Hogg, control superintendent for Oxfordshire ambulance service, said the pensioner, who has not been named, was certified dead at the scene by a local doctor.

Story date: Monday 08 March

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