Warren Moriarty was with his wife and family in their home in Hanover Square, Hyde Park, Leeds when he heard a fire alarm coming from the house next door yesterday evening (Wed, Mar 7].

The 36-year-old said: "I heard the fire alarm go off, rang the fire station and then came out of my house.

"The guy who lives upstairs in the house had just come home and we tried to open the door to the flat but the lady's body was behind it.

"We grabbed two fire extinguishers that were in the hall and forced the door open.

"The fire was near the door where she was so we put it out. The room was full of dense smoke and she was slumped on the floor in the foetal position.

"She was just there, dead. What a way to go."

Warren Moriarty's wife Georgina, 49, added: "She was a nice lady. It's tragic."

A joint inquiry has been launched by West Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Fire Service following the death of the 39-year-old, who has not been named.

It is understood that she lived alone and suffered from Multiple Sclerosis.

Next door neighbour Adam Taylor, 22, an IT technician said: "My room is on the top floor and I looked out and could see smoke pouring out of the front of the house next door.

"I believe the lady, who lives in the ground floor flat, is disabled. We used to see her when she got into disabled taxis.

"It used to take her about five minutes to cross the road to get to the car. She couldn't walk very well and always had a stick.

"If it was her flat with the fire in there I wouldn't have thought she would have the ability to get out very quickly."

Firefighters were called to the scene about 8.20pm.

Police inquiries are being overseen by Det Supt Steve Payne of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team and the cause of the blaze is being investigated.

Police tape was tied across the front entrance of the three floor bricked terrace earlier today.

The front door had been left wide open and the side pane in the bay window was smashed, the double-glazed glass lying broken on the floor outside.

Two red fire extinguishers, which appeared to have been used, were on the steps.

Dett Supt Payne said house-to-house inquiries have been carried out in the area and investigations by police and officers of the Forensic Science Service are continuing to establish the cause of the fire.

The victim comes from the Nottingham area where her parents still live.