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Woman dies in Waterlooville flat fire
Police are investigating after a woman was found dead as a fire engulfed her flat.
Detectives have not ruled out suspicious circumstances after the 43-year-old's body was discovered at the block of flats in Sparrow Close, Wecock, Waterlooville.
Two fire engines were called to the fire in the ground floor flat after worried neighbours smelled smoke.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus spent 20 minutes fighting the blaze in the living room of the flat.
As firefighters carried out a search of the property, the woman's body was found.
Her pet cat also died as a result of the blaze.
Detectives and fire forensic investigators are now piecing together what caused the fire, which emergency services were called to shortly after 7am on Saturday < OCT31>, although details have only just been released.
The woman, who neighbours said lived alone, has not yet been formally identified and a post-mortem still has to be done to determine how she died.
Ralph Hutton, the officer in charge at Waterlooville fire station, was first on the scene.
He said: 'We had the fire out within 20 minutes. The property had been shut up so the fire virtually burned itself out because it had run out of oxygen.'
Neighbour Kevin Nobes, 42, said: 'The fire brigade were in the corridor with smoke billowing out.
'You could really smell the smoke.'
Scenes of crime officers arrived at the scene as the flat was cordoned off for a detailed forensic investigation to take place.
A police officer guarded the flat as forensic officers worked throughout the day.
Neighbours said the woman was a well-liked resident in the block of flats.
Mr Nobes said: 'She was a nice lady. She kept a lot of cats. She just kept herself to herself.'
The fire caused considerable smoke damage to the nearby corridor and ventilators had to be used to clear the smoke.
Neil Miller, a spokesman for Hampshire police, said: 'Hampshire Fire and Rescue attended a fire in Sparrow Close and on attending they discovered the body of a 43-year-old woman and called the police.
'Because of the fire we have not closed it off as a non-suspicious death.
'Police are investigating the circumstances of the death of this woman.'
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Weather for Portsmouth
Sunday 12 February 2012
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