A KIDDERMINSTER woman died in her bedroom after her bed caught fire accidentally, an inquest was told.

Kathleen Ash, of Biset Avenue, was found on her bedroom floor next to her bed, on October 4 last year, after inhaling “thick and acrid” smoke from the fire.

Jehovah Witness, John Randle, alerted police after he noticed “hundreds of flies” inside the 60-year-old’s home, when he knocked her door, at about 12.45pm.

Officers forced entry into the property where they found Mrs Ash.

The inquest at Stourport heard that Mrs Ash, who died of smoke inhalation, tried to use a washing bowl filled with water to put out the fire, believed to have started by smoking or smoking materials.

Alan Haley, fire investigation officer at Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, said the bowl was empty when he arrived and the carpet was wet.

He added: “I discovered that [Mrs Ash] was in her bedroom. There had been a fire in that room.

“I concluded that the fire started accidentally. It was most likely accidental because of the fact that there was evidence that someone tried to fight the fire.”

Deputy coroner, Margaret Barnard, concluded that Mrs Ash died as a result of an accident.