Wednesday, 28 November 2007, 12:59 GMT
Woman is killed in bungalow blaze

A 68-year-old woman has died in a house fire in south Oxfordshire.

Ambulance and fire crews were called to a bungalow on the Brookside Estate in Chalgrove, on Tuesday night, after a passer-by saw flames in a window.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus found the woman in the ground floor bedroom. She was by pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said an investigating into the cause of the fire is under way but it is not thought to be suspicious.

Grahame Mitchell, station manager, said: "It is too early in the investigation to say whether this lady had a working smoke alarm in her home.

"But I would appeal to householders to ensure that they fit smoke alarms on every level of their house and that these are regularly maintained and cleaned and have working batteries installed.

"The fire investigation is still ongoing and we are working closely with other agencies including the police to establish the cause of the fire."