Neighbours have spoken of their horror as a disabled pensioner burnt to death in his home yesterday morning. Fire fighters from Epsom’s white watch were called to the semi-detached house in Stoneleigh Park Road in Stoneleigh shortly before 1am on Sunday, January 8.

One neighbour, who was woken by the sound of fire engine sirens, said: “Flames were licking out from the downstairs.

You could tell that it seemed to be contained in the front living room.

But there was a lot of smoke that was filling up the rest of the house.

The windows were popping.

I saw a body bag come out and put in a private ambulance.

We are all shocked and sad that something as awful as this has happened and that someones life has been lost.”

The man, who was in his 70s, has not yet been formally identified but police say they are not treating the death as suspicious. It is understood a woman, returning from picking up her husband, raised the alarm on her way home. The man, who had not lived at the property for very long, is believed to have had a home help carer.

Another neighbour, Frank Boun said: “I heard a noise and first of all I thought it was workmen on the railway.

I looked out the window and there were fire engines and police here.

I know he had difficulty walking.

We would see him walking down the road occasionally but I hadn’t seen him for some time and I know he had a home helper.”

Both pumps from Epsom fire station were called to the blaze which caused massive damage to the ground and 75 percent damage to the first floor of the property.

A spokesman for Surrey Police said: “In relation to the house fire in Stoneleigh Park Road, Ewell in the early hours of Sunday, 8 January, police can confirm the body of a man was found inside the property.

“The body has not yet been identified and at this stage there is no evidence of any third party involvement in the fire but enquires by police and fire investigators are on-going.”

An investigation into the cause of the fire is now underway.