An inquest into the deaths of a man and woman following a Darlington house fire has been opened.
Philip Cheesman, 79, and Loraine Cheesman, 54, died after the fire at their home in Woodland Terrace in the early hours of May 13.
Mr Cheesman, who had worked as a taxi driver, was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle but died later that day.
A post-mortem examination was carried out on May 25 by doctor Louise Mulcahy who gave the cause of death as ‘smoke inhalation and burns’.
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Ms Cheesman, who was born in Cyprus and worked as a seamstress, was pronounced dead at the scene of the fire.
A post-mortem examination was carried out on May 22 by Dr Paul Barrett who gave the cause of death as ‘carbon monoxide poisoning’.
The inquest hearing, at Crook Coroners’ Court, was opened by Senior Coroner Jeremy Chipperfield and will be concluded once further investigations have been carried out.
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