Elderly woman dies in Blackbird Leys house fire

A woman in her 80s has died in a fire which started in the bedroom of her Oxfordshire home.

Crews were called to Samphire Road, Blackbird Leys, at about 2130 GMT on Thursday after smoke was seen billowing out of the house.

The woman's elderly husband was rescued by a neighbour from the ground floor of the property but she died at the scene.

An investigation has started into the cause of the fire, which is not thought to be suspicious.

Firefighters wearing breathing equipment went into the heavily smoke logged first floor bedroom where the rescued man's wife was found.

Station manager Gary D'Anger, of Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said residents living close to the scene were evacuated.

"When firefighters arrived the elderly gentleman was downstairs and a neighbour had gone in and was half-way through getting him out," he added.

"The first-floor bedroom was very heavily smoke-logged, the physical fire was not that intense.

"We have only done a preliminary investigation and police have cordoned off the scene."