EXCLUSIVE

A DEVASTATED husband has told of the horrific moment he woke up to find his wife on fire in their front room.

It is thought that 64-year-old Margaret Helliwell, who had suffered a stroke several years ago, fell into her open coal fire in their house on Greenside, Hoylandswaine.

Her 67-year-old husband, Geoff, said he woke up at 8.15pm last Friday to find his bungalow full of smoke.

He made his way into the front room where he discovered his wife engulfed in flame.

Geoff threw water onto Margaret before calling his friend, James Gill, who is trained as an ambulance technician and fireman.

He immediately came to the house to help and tried to resuscitate Margaret. The emergency services arrived later but all attempts to save her were in vain. Geoff said: “It’s going to be a long, long time before it leaves me, if it ever does. She was burnt beyond recognition. The bungalow was full of smoke."

Geoff, who has previously suffered a heart attack and walks with two sticks because of his acute arthritis, said he is now suffering from the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning after inhaling smoke.

“Standing outside, I saw the smoke billowing out, and as it went up I looked up and thought somebody up there wanted me alive.”