RESIDENTS in a small Watford street were left deeply distressed after an elderly woman was killed in a house fire on Saturday.

Firecrews were called to the home of Mrs Dolly Payne in York Road at 10.40pm and found it filled with thick smoke.

Inside they found the 78-year-old woman and attempted to resuscitate her in the street before an ambulance crew took over. However, she died as a result of the incident.

Sub officer Anthony Horne, of Watford Fire Station, said: 'There were a great many people out in the street from the surrounding houses and they were very very upset. The lady was well known in the area and she will be very much missed by the residents.'

The fire is thought to have been started in the lounge, 80 per cent of which was destroyed.

Mr Horne added: 'The ceiling was covered in polystyrene tiles and they give off very acrid fumes in a fire, which is one of the main reasons that the fire was so fierce.'

Mrs Payne was born in the house and lived there her whole life. She had three sons.

Neighbour Mrs Margaret Carey, 38, paid tribute to Mrs Payne: 'I knew her as a neighbour, she was lovely. We were friends for more than 13 years, ever since I moved in, really. She baby-sat for my son, but that was a long time ago.

'Everybody loved her, all the neighbours. She had a good sense of humour.

'She got frail in the last few months but was active and belonged to a social club, which she went to twice a week.

'She had lots of friends in the area, in fact, she was probably the oldest resident in the street, definitely the resident who had lived here the longest.

'She was kind to people and you would see her in front of the house taking to everybody.

'I think a lot of the residents in the street will go to the funeral.'