A WOMAN who died in a house fire despite efforts to save her has been identified as 69-year-old Pauline Biscombe, grand-daughter of a Kent builder.

Mrs Biscombe's 64-year-old husband, Philip, banged on the doors of neighbours in Turketel Road, Folkestone, late last Friday night pleading with them to help him reach her.

But the heat was overpowering and by the time firefighters arrived it was too late. Mrs Biscombe was found in her bed on the first floor of the detached house and pronounced dead at the scene.

Insp Ian Hunter, of Kent Police, said: “This is a tragic incident and an investigation will be carried out, but at this stage there would appear to be nothing untoward.”

The fire destroyed the bedroom and caused heat and smoke damage to the rest of the house. Crew manager Tim Hanley was one of the first firefighters into the house.

He said: “I think a neighbour had tried to go up the stairs, but the situation was so severe. When we got to the top of the stairs, the heat was so intense, we weren’t able to gain access to the room.

“We would have liked to have got in sooner, but there is only so far our protective equipment can go. It would have been in the region of 1,000 degrees. It was just so difficult.”

Distraught Mr Biscombe was taken to the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford suffering from smoke inhalation and burns. He has since been released and is staying with daughter Karen Tomlinson in Hawkinge. His injuries still require specialist medical treatment.

Neighbour Frank Collier, who lives opposite, said the pair were an important part of the community in Turketel Road. He added: “They fitted in well here.”

Mrs Biscombe was the grand-daughter of Folkestone builder Otto Marx. The house in Turketel Road was built by him as a wedding present for his son Leonard and Mrs Biscombe then inherited the property from her father.