A man was killed in a freak accident when a tree he was working on burst into flames.

Tree surgeon Richard Coates, 28, was trimming branches from a fir tree when he was engulfed in a flash fire.

The tragedy happened on Friday morning as Mr Coates, from Corbridge, Northumberland, worked on the tree in Rothbury, Northumberland, and firefighters believe the blaze was started by a small fire at the base of the tree which he had been using to burn waste wood.

A spokeswoman for Northumbria Fire and Rescue Service said: "It appears the tree surgeon was taking some branches down and throwing them on to a small fire beneath.

"A branch appears to have hit the fire and become propped up against the tree, which caused it to burst into flames quite quickly."

Firefighters believe the man had been using a climbing harness and would have been strapped to the tree, although his body was discovered on the ground.

The alarm was raised by a shocked female resident and a doctor called to the scene pronounced the man dead. Cause of death was said to be either asphyxia or severe burns.

A spokesman for Northumbria Police described the incident as a "tragic accident" and said there were no suspicious circumstances.

Rothbury councillor Peter Dawson said the close-knit community would be left stunned by the news.

He said: "This is an absolute tragedy. We have had accidents here before, but this is absolutely terrible."

A spokesman for Northumbria Police said: "It would appear that the tree he was working on was ignited by a small rubbish fire at its base and Mr Coates was subsequently caught up in the blaze, resulting in his death.

"There are no suspicious circumstances in relation to the death, however it is being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive."