POLICE are investigating the cause of a house fire in which a 30-year-old woman died at the weekend.

Neighbours described how the woman's boyfriend managed to flee the blaze in their ground-floor flat, but was beaten back by smoke when he went back to try to reach her.

Police said last night that although conclusive identification was not possible they were satisfied the victim was Victoria Barker, of Coquet Gardens, South Stanley, where the fire occurred.

A post-mortem examination revealed she died of smoke inhalation. Her partner has not been named.

Neighbour Trevor Lawson said that shortly before 11am on Saturday he heard a smoke alarm.

"I never took any notice, however, because the alarm was constantly going off," said Mr Lawson.

"About three minutes later the boyfriend, who I didn't know, came to the door dressed in only his boxer shorts, and asked me to call the fire brigade.

"His face was blackened by smoke and his hair was singed. There was smoke pouring out of the ground-floor flat.

"When he first came to the door I could hear his girlfriend whimper, and then there was nothing."

Mr Lawson said the boyfriend went inside and came out with clothing, before trying twice more to find his partner. The police arrived minutes later.

Mr Lawson said: "They broke the front window and back window to let out smoke and tried to fight the fire with small extinguishers they had with them."

Durham Fire and Rescue Service sub-officer David White said two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus went into the flat, where they put out the fire and found Ms Barker dead in the living room.

The dead woman's boyfriend was admitted to hospital, suffering from smoke inhalation.

Police said the boyfriend had been interviewed, but the cause of the fire had yet to be determined.