AN 81-YEAR-OLD woman died in her warden controlled bungalow yesterday, only two weeks before her council landlords were due to install a smoke alarm.

Firemen found the body of Annie Bell in the smoke-filled bedroom of her house in Woodland Road, Esh Winning, after a home help raised the alarm.

Last night, a spokeswoman for Durham City Council confirmed that Mrs Bell's home was one of those about to be fitted with a smoke detector.

Fire officers launched an immediate investigation following the fire and quickly ruled out any suspicious circumstances at the house, which forms part of a horse-shoe of interconnecting old people's bungalows.

And though the investigationwas still continuing yesterday afternoon, a spokesman for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Brigade said the fire, which was reported at about 8.30am, had been confined to a mattress in the bedroom, where Mrs Bell, a smoker, had been sleeping.

Police said it appeared that the mattress had been smouldering for some time.

A senior fire officer did, however, reveal there was no smoke alarm in the sheltered accommodation though he was uncertain as to whether a device had been fitted and then taken out.

Late yesterday afternoon, a spokeswoman for Durham City Council said that while all their new sheltered accommodation included detectors there were a number of older properties not covered by the devices.

She said the council was in the process of spending £500,000 installing alarms in all warden-controlled premises.

She said Mrs Bell wore a pendant unit, which could be triggered if assistance was needed.

She added: "Mrs Bell's property had already been surveyed and was due to have the smoke alarm fitted within the next two weeks.''

The spokeswoman said that the council would await Fire Brigade and Police findings before deciding whether to hold its own inquiry.