AN inquest into the death of a grandmother who died following a Barrow house fire which was halted to allow police to investigate will resume next week.

An initial hearing relating to the death of Yvonne McCorquodale started at Barrow Town Hall in January.

The 66-year-old was rescued from her house in Newbarns Road, Barrow, on July 15 of last year, and later died at Whiston Hospital Merseyside, on July 21.

The inquest had lasted for more than an hour when assistant Cumbria coroner Mr Robert Chapman adjourned proceedings to allow police to take statements from family members Kelly Pacey and Deanne McCorquodale.

They had told the hearing they disagreed with statements made by Mrs McCorquodale's daughter, Corin McCorquodale, who lived with her mum.

In January, the inquest heard from James Brockbanks, who lived around 25 metres away. He heard a smashing sound and when he took his dog for a walk five minutes later, he saw thick, black smoke coming from an upstairs window.

He banged on the door and shouted "get out, there's a fire", which alerted Corin McCorquodale, who had been downstairs in the kitchen while her mum had gone to listen to the radio in her bedroom.

Mr Brockbanks tried to go upstairs to help, but could only manage "three or four steps" on the staircase before the heat became "unbearable".

First on the scene, numerous police officers were present, including Sergeant Andy Travis who made three attempts to get to the bedroom, and Sgt Alan McNulty, who helped extinguish flames before deciding it was too dangerous to continue.

Fire crews were able to rescue Mrs McCorquodale on a stretcher, and she was initially taken to Furness General Hospital before being transferred to Merseyside.

The inquest was told the house was filled with clutter, including many plastic bags which allowed the fire to grow rapidly and create the thick acrid smoke.

A report from fire station manager for Ulverston, John Griffiths, said it was likely that a candle which Mrs McCorquodale had lit and left outside her bedroom was the cause of the fire. There was no smoke detector in the house.

The inquest heard that Mrs McCorquodale, wife to the late Malcolm, sustained burns to 10 per cent of her body.

Doctors' statements said the burns were not, in themselves, fatal but along with carbon monoxide poisoning, from the air she breathed in, had led to multiple organ failure.

The inquest is due to resume at Barrow Town Hall on Friday December 9 and is scheduled to last one day.