The victim of a canal boat inferno has been named as Marianne Chavasse, who was alone when fire swept the 70-ft vessel near Honeystreet wharf.

The cause of the fierce blaze aboard the Cobra has not been established and investigations continue.

It is understood that Mrs Chavasse, 43, and her ex-husband had commissioned the boat to be fitted out to their design and she had been living alone on it for about 18 months.

She had a new partner, singer and entertainer Simon Roff, who is known in the canal side pubs as the Bedwyn Busker.

The fire brigade first received 999 calls as dawn broke on Friday after a newspaper delivery man spotted smoke coming from the Cobra berthed on the opposite side of the canal to Gibson’s Boat Services at the Old Builder’s Wharf.

First on the scene was George Gibson, who lives opposite the narrow boat’s mooring. He said: “It was the newspaper deliverer who knocked on my door at 5.30am.

“I got dressed and ran straight over. I climbed on board but the heat from the metal was too great. I couldn't do anything.”

After dialling 999, Mr Gibson played water from a hose at his boat servicing business onto the blazing boat until the fire crews arrived.

His son Chris, who runs Devizes Photo Imaging in Devizes Market Place, said: “The heat was intense. The fire could have been going for hours before anyone noticed. We managed to move the two boats that were moored closest to it in case of explosion. It also meant that it stopped any traffic coming along the canal.

“I didn’t know the lady whose boat it was. I don’t think she would have known anything about it.”

June Potts, who runs the nearby Barge Inn with her husband Adrian, said they knew Mrs Chavasse as a customer and she said: “She was a very gentle and likeable sort of girl.”

A spokeswoman for Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Crews found the boat well alight on arrival and had to break their way in. Ten fire fighters wearing breathing apparatus used two hoses on the flames.”

Fire crews from Pewsey, Devizes, Marlborough and Calne were supported by a control unit from Devizes, a support team from Swindon and a rescue team from Amesbury.

The fire fighters had great difficulty in getting into the boat and it was noon before it was confirmed Mrs Chavasse had been found.

Police said they were satisfied there was nothing suspicious about her death.

A post mortem took place yesterday at Salisbury District Hospital and an inquest will be opened today or tomorrow.