An elderly woman was found dead by firefighters called to reports of a blaze in Carshalton.

She was found unconscious in the hallway of the house in Park Terrace, St John's Road, by firefighters yesterday.

Crews from Wallington and Mitcham stations were sent to house at about 1.56pm.

Firefighters found a smoking pan on a hob and took it out to the garden.

The woman, named locally as Janet, was confirmed dead shortly afterwards.

Neighbour Lorraine Fenlon, 63, said: “It was horrible. I heard fire engines in the afternoon, but thought it was Janet’s neighbour Denise’s house that was on fire.

“The firefighters found her by the stairs and carried her out onto the street and tried to save her and the police had to tell her two sons what happened.

“It sounds like she had been cooking and may have had a heart attack and fallen down the stairs because there was not really any fire, let alone any black smoke over the building. When the firefighters opened the door hardly any smoke came out."

She added: "It’s such a shame that this happened.

“I saw her the day before the fire and she looked fine, but she had had some health problems.

“We were the only two who lived on this road back from when it was only a few houses and there were fields nearby.

“She was always glamorous and friendly. She was a private person and kept to herself mainly, but we would have a laugh on the bus and we used to get on very well together.

"She was just a lovely woman, I couldn’t say a bad word about her and I would if I had one to say.

“You don’t expect to see this sort of thing happen on your road, it’s horrible."

Ten firefighters and two engines were sent to the house.