Neighbours of a woman who died following a house fire say they are shocked and saddened by the incident.

Fire crews were called to the blaze at a house in St Margaret's Avenue, South Harrow, at around 12.45am in the early hours of Saturday morning.

A woman, believed to be in her 40s, was brought out of the first floor of the property by firefighters but was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Fatema Sabur, 64, who has lived in the street for 44 years, said: “I came home about 11.30pm and while I was settling down with a cup of tea I heard a lot of noise from outside.

“I looked out and I could thick black smoke going across the road. There must have been about 30 police and firefighters outside.

“I went to my neighbour’s and the other woman who lives in the house on fire was there. She was shaking and couldn’t speak she was so shocked.

“We tried to calm her down but she was very upset.

“We saw the body come carried out and they tried to save her. It’s just a horrible thing to happen in this neighbourhood.

“When I found out she had died it made me very sad, I just couldn’t believe it had happened.”

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: “It’s absolutely shocking. I heard some noise in the night, but thought it was something happening in the alleyway.

“It’s very worrying because we don’t know how it started.”

Neighbours report ambulance staff tried for over an hour to resuscitate the woman, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

It is believed the two women living in the house were renting the property and had moved in a few months ago.

Today the house was taped off by police officers as they continue to investigate the causes of the blaze.

The fire tour through the house damaging the ground and first floor and two crews from Northolt fire station tackled the flames for more than hour before getting it under control at 1.54am.