A WOMAN who was burned beyond recognition after falling into her fireplace had already died from a heart attack, an inquest was told.

Margaret Helliwell, who was 64, was discovered after she fell into an open coal fire at her home on Greenside, Hoylandswaine.

It was originally thought Margaret had burned to death, but an inquest was told that she was probably already dead or unconscious when she fell.

Coroner Chris Dorries said Margaret had made no attempt to move herself away from the hot surface when her face came to rest against the hearth.

She had suffered from a serious heart condition and Mr Dorries said she could have died at any moment.

“Sadly she had to collapse somewhere and it happened to be in the fire, although that had little relevance to her death.”

Her husband of 43 years, Geoff, had woken on Friday January 26 to find their house full of smoke and when he went into the front room he saw that Margaret was on fire.

Geoff, 67, who walks with two sticks because of acute arthritis, threw water onto her before calling his friend, a paramedic, to help.

Their efforts to save Margaret were in vain, however, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Dorries recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.

Speaking after the inquest, Geoff said it was good to know that Margaret had died from a heart attack, rather than because of the fire.

“In the circumstances, it’s better to know. I can now accept that and say it wasn't the fire that killed her.

“It was just the sight — it even affected the ambulance driver, he’s having flashbacks as well.

Margaret, whose maiden name was Bradwell, grew up in Penistone and went to St John’s School.

Geoff said: “Everybody who met her, they just got along with her. “She was just one of those sort of people.”