An 86-year-old woman has sadly died after being rescued by firefighters from a house fire in Newcastle.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) responded to a residential fire at the semi-detached property on Pelham Court in Kingston Park on Monday afternoon.

The Service’s Fire Control had received the emergency call at 2:24pm and dispatched firefighters to the scene.

Three appliances, from Gosforth, West Denton and Newcastle Central Community Fire Stations, were deployed with the first arriving on scene within just six-minutes.

Six firefighters, using breathing apparatus, immediately entered the property and rescued the resident from the fire.

The woman was given emergency treatment at the scene by firefighters until the arrival of the North East Ambulance Service.

However, despite the best efforts of emergency services, the woman sadly passed away from her injuries

Area Manager Paul Russell, of TWFRS, said: “Any death connected to a fire is devastating and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim at this time.

“Our crews were on scene within minutes of the emergency call and were able to rescue the resident from the property.

“But despite our firefighters and blue light colleagues fighting tirelessly to help save the life of the resident, she was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

“A joint investigation into the circumstances around the fire has now been launched by TWFRS and Northumbria Police.

“With any fatal fire in the region we will always look to see if there is anything we can learn to help keep the communities of Tyne and Wear safe from harm.”

Detective Inspector Jason Henry, of Northumbria Police, said: “Our thoughts are with the victim and their family at this difficult time.

“We will be looking to begin an investigation into the cause of the fire in the coming days and we will then prepare a report for the coroner.”

TWFRS offer free home visits as part of their safe and well checks, during which they can check smoke alarms or fit new ones.

Staff can also identify any other fire risks and work with occupants to address issues in their home.

Anyone who wants to speak to TWFRS is encouraged to fill in a form on their website, or by calling their freephone number 0800 032 7777.