A 66-year-old disabled man died today following a house fire.
The man was in an upstairs room at the house in Newton Way, St Osyth, when the blaze began in the early hours.
It is believed he was awaiting an urgent hip operation, used crutches to walk and could not escape from the burning building.
The scene of the fire
His daughter and her partner got out and were taken to Colchester General Hospital but the family boxer dog also died and the cat is still missing.
Fire crews, two from Clacton with back-up from Weeley, were called at 4.21am.
Leading firefighter Lee Saunders, of Clacton's Green Watch, said when they arrived at the scene, the man's daughter and her parnter were outside.
The officer said: "There were flames coming from every window."
Six firefighters using breathing apparatus went into the house and Mr Saunders and firefighter Guy Chapman bought the elderly widower, who was suffering from burns and smoke inhalation, out.
Sub officer Adrian Wallis, of Clacton fire station, said: "Efforts were made by police and ambulancemen at the scene to resuscitate the man and he was taken to Colchester General Hospital, where he was certified as dead."
Police say the fire was not being treated as suspcious but as a matter of course, scenes of crimes officers would visit.
Published Thursday October 24, 2002
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