A PENSIONER died last night after a blaze engulfed her Winchester home.

The woman thought to be in her 70s or 80s died in the upstairs of her detached home in Piping Green, Colden Common, after the fierce house fire broke out.

Firefighters were called to the blaze shortly after midnight after a neighbour saw flames up to eight feet high coming out of the property and alerted the emergency services.

On arrival the house was found to be well alight and despite the best efforts of firefighters the victim, understood to be a woman called Betty Lawrence, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The house on Piping Green had been left completely gutted by the blaze with windows blown out and plastic fittings melted away.

It is understood the fire may have broken out in the kitchen but quickly took hold and spread through the detached 1960's red brick property.

Firefighters spoke of the intense heat and ferocity of the fire which by the time they arrived had already burnt away the floor to the victim's bedroom. In total 20 firefighters from Eastleigh, Romsey and Winchester wearing breathing apparatus tackled the fire throughout the night.

Leading firefighter Jim Green from Eastleigh said: "The flames were coming out of the windows to a height of about eight feet when we arrived. The bedroom window had completely melted as it has got so hot.

"There was no floor left in the bedroom either because it had been burnt up from downstairs.

Next door neighbour Jessica Warren said: "I was woken by a neighbour as I was just drifting off to sleep. There were flames pouring out of the bedroom window.

"The woman who lived there lost her husband last year and I don't think she was coping very well. She had been retired for some time and I believe she had lived there since these houses were built in the 1960s."

Another neighbour Alistair Gardiner, 46, of Piping Road said: "It's shocking I was on my way to bed last night when I heard the sirens but I couldn't see where they were going or what they were doing. Having looked at it now it is clear the fire has completely destroyed the house and it is terrifying because it shows just how serious these things can be."

Fire investigators visited the property during the night and were due to return later today to continue their inquiries into what caused the fire.