A POST-mortem is today due to take place on the body of a bed-ridden woman who died in a fire at her Hampshire home on Easter Sunday.

The 61-year-old woman, who has not been formally identified but was named locally as Sylvia, died in the blaze along with her two dogs at her ground floor flat in Beaulieu Road, Eastleigh.

As reported in the Daily Echo, neighbours spotted smoke coming from a rear bedroom of the flat and smashed a window to try to get inside and rescue the woman, but they were beaten back by the intense smoke.

Police cordoned off the flat during Sunday afternoon and evening as they launched an investigation into the cause of the blaze. Officers carried out house-to-house inquiries in Selbourne Drive.

The cordon was lifted by yesterday morning and the firedamaged flat was boarded up and empty.

The cause of the fire is not yet known and investigations to establish how the blaze started are ongoing, but police last night confirmed there was nothing to suggest it was an arson attack or the fire was started in suspicious circumstances.

Relatives of the woman have been informed of her death, but police said they would not be in a position to release her identity until formal identification procedures have taken place later this week.

Neighbours Andrew Lynas and Mark Andrews fought the smoke to try to save the woman.

Mr Lynas told the Daily Echo: “We smashed a window to get into the flat but the smoke was so bad we couldn’t see anything and had to get out again.

“The woman who died had been bedridden for about seven months.”

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said the property was not fitted with a smoke detector.

The coroner has been informed of the death and today’s post-mortem will establish the cause of the victim’s death.

Detectives are appealing for anyone who was in the area between 2pm and 3pm on Sunday, or anyone who has information about the fire, to come forward by calling Eastleigh CID on 0845 045 4545.