A WOMAN has died in a house fire in Swindon.

Firefighters battled in vain to save the victim, who was trapped in her home in Holbein Close, Grange Park.

The woman, who was believed to be in her 30s, was found dead inside the house.

Police broke down the door to the two storey mid-terrace but were unable to progress further than the hallway because of thick smoke and intense heat.

Fire crews from Westlea entered the building wearing breathing apparatus, and found the body of the woman.

The emergency services were alerted by neighbours after smoke was spotted coming from the house at around 11pm last night.

The blaze is thought to have started in the ground floor of the house, which was severely damaged by fire and smoke. The first floor was also smoke damaged.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said the woman had lived at the address for around three years.

He said: "We didn't know anything about it until we heard the fire engines screaming into the estate.

"We knew the lady quite well and are just really shocked by it all. It is terrible."

He said the operation to put out the blaze was hampered because there wasn't a hydrant nearby.

The fire was brought under control by 12.30am. They managed to stop the blaze spreading to neighbouring properties.

The house was today boarded up and badly charred furniture was being taken from the building and placed in a skip.

Police and fire services were today investigating the cause of the fire. It is not being treated as suspicious.