A man died after fire swept through his home in Laindon.
Fire crews discovered the body under a bed after a startled milkman raised the alarm at around 5am this morning. Thick black smoke, searing heat and flames licking at the windows met firefighters as they tackled the inferno in Gaywood.
Two crews from Basildon, wearing breathing equipment, got into the ground floor bedsit and discovered a foam upholstered armchair on fire. Underneath the bed they found the body of a man, aged between 35 and 45. He has not been identified.
Fatal fire : a police officer stands outside the house where a man died Picture: ROB BROWNE
Neighbour Caroline Brown, 37, said: "It's so sad when you think about what has happened. "There always used to be some noise coming from that house, but it was never enough to be a nuisance. There were always a lot of young people about."
Published Tuesday, August 5, 2003
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