An elderly woman, who was killed with her son on New Year's Eve when a fire started in their Deptford home, sacrificed herself to warn him as the blaze took hold, an inquest was told.

Doreen Nicholl, 86, and son John Nicholl, 61, were found by fire crews collapsed on the second floor bedroom where they had tried to take refuge from the smoke.

Coroner Lorna Tagliavini praised Mr Nicholl who had tried to carry his mother to safety before they succumbed to the fire fumes.

She also commended neighbours for their "brave efforts" after they broke down the door at the sight of smoke pouring from the house in Ashmead Road.

Neighbours were unable to reach Mrs Nicholl, who despite her lack of mobility, had managed to get upstairs to warn her son after the fire broke out in her ground floor bedroom.

Fire investigators failed to determine an exact cause of the fire, but ruled an electrical fault was the most likely explanation.

They concluded against any suspicious circumstances or third party involvement in starting the fatal fire.

Mrs Nicholl, a widow and former dinner lady, lived a largely separate life from her son who was described as a "recluse" by his siblings.

She had lived in the house, which didn't have any working smoke alarms at the time of the blaze, for around 50 years with her late husband.

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The Nicholl's house in Ashmead Road, Deptford.

Giving evidence at Southwark Coroners Court Mrs Nicholl's son James, who lives in Bromley and visited his mum on the afternoon of the fire, said she had had a "tough year" after suffering a stroke earlier in 2014.

He said: "She was really determined to start the year in a positive frame."

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Mrs Nicholl's other son Keith, who lives in Dubai, had wished her a happy New Year on the phone less than an hour before the firefighters arrived at 9.45pm.

Recording an accidental verdict Ms Tagliavini said: "It does appear that Mr Nicholl was at the time of his death trying to get his mother to safety and again he’s to be commended for his attempts.

"It’s very sad that he was overcome by fire fumes and was unable to reach a place of safety "Mrs Nicholl could have chosen to go out of the front door and save herself. She’s to be commended for her efforts to save her son."

After the fire, neighbour Linda Wiltshere, 67, who had known Mrs Nicholl for over 40 years, paid tribute to her.

She said: "A truer friend is hard to find. Doreen was a lovely lady."

To pay tribute to Mr and Mrs Nicholl, get in touch by emailing jessica.bell@london.newsquest.co.uk.