A POLICE investigation is underway after a woman in her 30s has died in a fire in Marlborough.

Firefighters were called to the blaze at a first floor flat in Angel Yard, near the High Street, just after 1pm today. It is understood a woman walking her dog saw smoke and called emergency services.

Crews from Marlborough, Pewsey and Hungerford attended the address and neighbours saw the firefighters battle to get inside. First, trying to break down the front door and smash the windows before sawing their way through the entrance.

They found the woman in the upstairs flat and brought her outside. However, despite best efforts from the fire crews she was declared dead at the scene by South Western Ambulance Service.

This evening, forensic officers have been gathering evidence to determine the cause of the fire. It is not yet known whether they are treating it as suspicious.

Police have taped off the property and footpath behind. The ground floor resident, who was not in the flat at the time, has moved to temporary accommodation.

It is believed the woman, who has not been named by police, has lived at the address on her own for the past three years and had recently been working as a waitress at a restaurant in the town.

A number of floral tributes have been left near the flat by devastated friends.

One friend who did not want to be named said: “When it was confirmed a body had come out and it was a lady’s body, I just didn’t want to believe she was in there.

“It was like watching a film but it was real, I thought I was in a dream world.

“We were saying to the fire brigade ‘is anyone in there, is anyone in there’ and it was a little while after the fire people put a big tarpaulin thing over the window and the door. The paramedics turned up and I think they moved the body to the back.

“We were just begging and begging the officer that was here for him to tell us something and he just confirmed a lady’s body was in there.

“I am numb and just cannot believe this has happened. It has not sunk in and it is such a shock. I just wish she had not been in there.  

“They [fire crew] had trouble breaking the door down, so it was the little window they went through first. They were getting saws out and trying everything to get the door down but it just took forever.

 “We are all lost for words, it is awful.”

Another friend added: “We have just been crying all day. She was always well dressed and well-groomed, a lovely lovely girl who was quietly spoken and very sweet.”

Marge McCallum, duty inspector at Wiltshire Police, said: “We are in the very early stages of the investigation.

“We received a report about 1 o’clock this afternoon in relation to a member of the public seeing some smoke coming out of the windows.

“Fire attended the scene and got entry into a room where they found the body of a female. We can say this female is now deceased and that we are in the very early stages of an investigation between the police, our crime scene investigators and fire investigators.

“So at this stage all I can say is we are investigating, after an examination has taken place we will be able to give further information.

“The scene will be locked down overnight in order to allow the scene to be investigated tomorrow morning. It is far too early to say when that will be concluded, sometime tomorrow I would think.

“As I understand it there was no one else in the flat. We have not released her details yet until the next of kin have been informed, but as I understand it she was the sole occupant of the flat.”