AN ELDERLY man died after a fire broke out in his flat today.

The man, believed to be in his late 70s and who lived on his own, was dragged from his burning home in Denville Road, Blackburn, by firefighters.

He was given oxygen on the pavement by paramedics outside but was dead on arrival at Blackburn Infirmary.

Neighbours, who raised the alarm after smelling smoke just after 7.30am said the flat was occupied by a pensioner called Eric Laycock.

The cause of the fire is not known.

Neighbour Richard Wareing, 57, said: "I'd just got up to make a brew and a neighbour was at the door and said a house was on fire. I looked through the letterbox and saw the smoke at the back and rang the fire brigade.

"They came and bashed the door down and smoke billowed out.

"The fire fighters pulled him out within seconds and they gave him first aid on the grass and he had a breathing mask on. He was a nice block and he kept himself to himself and we were all hoping he was OK."

Another neighbour, Georgina Walple, 19, said: "A neighbour had to wake me up. I was sleeping through it."

Sub-officer Tony Ashworth, said: "We forced the door and recovered one elderly person. He was still breathing and was suffering from smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire is still under investigation."

Police said the fire was not being treated as suspicious. The flat was extensively damaged by the fire.