POLICE and firefighters are investigating a fire which left a young man in Heysham dead this week.

The 20-year-old victim was found inside one of the flats at 164 Heysham Road on Saturday morning.

He still can't be named as police have not formally identified the body. The room in which he died was almost completely destroyed by fire.

Other flats in the property were also badly damaged by smoke although no-one else was hurt. The firefighters were called out at about 2.30am.

Several neighbours remembered the young man who lived in the flat - still not confirmed as the victim - as quiet type. Said one: "You would see him walking up and down but he never spoke very often. Then again people keep themselves to themselves round here and you never really know them."

Another was away but rushed home when he heard the news. "I thought it was my flat," he said. "I got back as quickly as I could but it was next door. I would see the lad around but I couldn't say I really knew him."

One firefighter confirmed the fire was very intense. He added: "The cause of the fire is still under investigation so we are limited with what we can tell you. When we got there was obviously a serious fire in the second floor room. In the end we were there for about five hours. It was extremely hot and the room was 90 per cent damaged." A forensic team was despatched to the flat to try and ascertain the cause.

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