An elderly woman was killed after a blaze took hold in the bedroom of her Black Country flat. The entire three-storey block in Portobello was evacuated.

Neighbours spotted smoke at the premises shortly after 10pm last night and raised the alarm

Around 20 firefighters from Willenhall, Walsall and Bilston stations battled the flames at the property.

The pensioner, thought to be in her 70s, was pronounced dead at the scene in Willenhall Road, near the Bird in Hand pub.

Investigators from the fire service today said they believed the blaze had been an accident and that they were not treating it as suspicious.

Today stunned neighbours were coming to terms with the tragedy and described the victim as “a lovely lady”.

Neighbour Maxine Gittins, aged 35, who lives in the flat immediately above said: “Everybody called her Mrs Johnson. She was a lovely lady. We were at home at about 10pm when we smelled smoke. We phoned the fire brigade straight away. I got on with her quite well she used to ask me to read her electric meter.”

Phil Loach, from West Midlands Fire Service, said: “Firefighters soon discovered a woman in the flat,” he said. “She was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.”