A father died in his blazing home as his girlfriend leapt to safety from a bedroom window clutching their two-year-old daughter in her arms.

Richie Gorman, 27, was found slumped on the floor of the wrecked house by the time firefighters managed to reach him.

Moments earlier, Lynne Reay, 24, managed to jump from a first-floor bedroom window with her daughter, Leonie.

Both suffered from smoke inhalation and Lynne broke her toe in the 20ft fall from the house in Harton, South Shields, South Tyneside.

But Leonie suffered no serious injuries and was recovering with her mother in hospital.

Fire officer John Stephenson said: "Flames were shooting out of all the windows when we arrived. The house was wrecked.

"The fire was very well developed. It was so hot it was bringing the plaster off the walls."

Fire experts and police are investigating the cause of the blaze, but it is not thought to be suspicious."

Brave neighbour Michael Coxon, 22, fought desperately to save the stricken family.

He said: "I woke up and heard shouting, banging and screaming. I looked out of the window and the street was black with smoke."

He and his brother, Mark, 25, ran to the house and were joined by other neighbours in an attempt to help. Mark took Lynne and Leonie into a house while Michael made a futile bid to save Mr Gorman.

He said: "Lynne was shouting 'Richie's still in there' and I went to the house, but the door was melting.

"The heat was too intense and I had to back off. Lynne was very distressed, it was awful, but the baby seemed to be okay."