NEIGHBOURS have told how they tried to rescue a 94-year-old woman who died when her clothes caught fire at her home in Cheddleton.

Marilyn and Russell Smith were alerted by the smoke alarm as they walked past the home of Gwendoline and Dorothy Faulkner in The Avenue.

But they were unable to gain access because the doors to the property were locked and no-one had a spare key.

Firefight ers forced their way into the house at 5.30pm on New Year's Eve but Gwendoline was pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor.

Her sister Dorothy, aged 84, is still being treated at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire after inhaling smoke.

Marilyn Smith, who lives on Basford Bridge Lane with her husband Russell, said: "We heard a smoke alarm go off and there wasn't anyone else around so we tried both the front door and back door but could not get in. As I came back round to the front door I could hear Dorothy speak to someone - I believe she was speaking to the panic line.

"I just saw lots of smoke and Dorothy was saying 'oh dear' and that her sister was on fire. She must have been in such a state of shock.

"My husband and I then tried to break the door down but couldn't. We asked neighbours if they had a key but no-one did, so we then tried to look for something to break a window but then heard the sirens of the emergency services."

Marilyn and Russell knew the two sisters. Marilyn had worked with Dorothy at Brittain's Paper Mill in Cheddleton many years ago.

Marilyn said: "They were lovely ladies who had lived together all their lives. It is an awful shame."

Mark Pointon and Jeanette Ferns live next door to the sisters' home and had been out with their dogs at the time of the incident.

Mark said: "As we were walking up The Avenue, we noticed a lot of emergency services vehicles by our home and at first thought that it was our own house on fire. We raced up and realised people were going in and out of Gwen and Dorothy's.

"We then saw Marilyn and Russell Smith who told us that they had seen smoke and tried to get in but the front door had been locked.

"Gwen and Dorothy kept themselves to themselves and were quite house bound.

"They had help from social services around four times a day and their nephew Antony Cotterill used to come up to see them at least twice a week."

Jeanette said: "It is very sad and I feel for Dorothy. It must have really traumatised her. They were both well spoken ladies and very pleasant. It's such a shame for Gwen to have gone like that."

Isobel Carding lives in the house across from the sisters' home. She said: "We have lived here for 40 years and I think they have lived here for around 34. But I did know them before as they have lived in Cheddleton all their lives. They were on Station Road before here.

"A couple heard the smoke alarm going off and Dorothy crying out. I rang Anthony who came straight away. He told me that his Aunty Gwen had gone.

"It was awful. We wished we could have helped more but we just couldn't.

"We are all friendly around here and they were two nice old ladies."

Anthony Cotterill, who lives on High Lane in Cheddleton Heath, is Gwen and Dorothy's nephew. He was unavailable for comment but his wife, who did not want to be named, said: "Dorothy is doing well considering. We have no idea when she will be coming out of hospital.

"It is absolutely horrendous, at the age of 94, for life to end that way."

Fire crews from Leek and Longton were alerted by a Careline system fitted to the house.

Officer in charge, Mark Wilson said: "A fire investigation has established that this was a tragic accident and our thoughts are with friends and family.

"We believe the elderly lady's clothing came into contact with the open fire and then set alight. However, we are still awaiting further details into exactly how this happened."

Following the tragedy Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging people to have a free home fire risk check by contacting freephone 0800 0241 999.