A SECURITY guard today told how he discovered a fatal fire raging as he returned home to the flats in which he lived.

Thomas Dickinson, 62, helped firemen in the rescue effort in the fire which claimed the life of pensioner Catherine Cochrane at Rogers Court, Foxwood, last week.

Mr Dickinson said: "I went in and saw what I thought was smoke coming out from under the door of Mrs Cochrane's flat.

"After I got her organised I went up to my flat and then came back downstairs just as the first two police officers arrived on the scene.

"They were going to kick the door in but I said Mrs Cochrane always left it open. They opened the door and smoke came out and I told them there was also a lady in the flat above.

"I then thought they said 'go and get her,' so I dived up the stairs. It was so bad I could not see the stairs and was just feeling for them and the lady's front door.

"I tried to grab her but she dived back into her flat and starting shouting "help, get me out, get me out".

"I tried to grab her but I couldn't, but I heard a fireman at the window and then she was out. I was lying on the floor by her front door trying to get below the thick smoke and felt somebody pushing on the door to open it. Two firemen then carried me out.

"When I got outside I was struggling for breath and was treated by a paramedic. They took me to hospital.

"It was very sad that Mrs Cochrane did not survive," said Mr Dickinson, who has been rehoused.

Meanwhile, City of York councillors have been told at a meeting of the housing services committee that similar blocks of flats have been visited and all the residents offered smoke alarms. More than 5,500 alarms have been fitted free of charge by the council in the past five years.

A report by North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue service is expected to be submitted to the council later this week but it has already been reported that the fire was caused by smoker's materials.

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