AN ELDERLY lady was found dead following a house fire yesterday.

Firefighters were called to an address in Eagles Drive, Biggin Hill, at 10.30am.

The deceased has been named as Dorothy Mary Lock, aged 78.

A neighbour who saw smoke coming from the house raised the alarm and got his hosepipe to try and put out the fire.

A roofer, who was working at a neighbouring property told News Shopper he saw the smoke and joined two delivery men, who were delivering a fridge to a neighbour, to try and help.

Kerry Cutts, 33, from Beckton in east London, kicked down the door and entered the house to try and rescue the woman, but was unable to find her.

He said: "Smoke was billowing everywhere, it was just toxic.

"It really stuck in the back of your throat, it was just black everywhere.

"I had to get out of there because I couldn't breath properly."

Lorraine McKinley, who works for Neon Transport, named the delivery men as Danny Dodsworth and Karl Keen.

She said: "They were both really heroic, they put their lives at risk.

"Unfortunately they didn't get to the lady on time, which will really play on their minds.

"They were both black with smoke when they got out and they had burned hands and lost all the hair on their arms."

Four fire engines and around 20 firefighters attended.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: "The fire damaged part of a ground floor bedroom and firefighters found the body of an older woman at the scene."

Next of kin have been informed.

The cause of the fire is under investigation but police are treating it as non-suspicious.