Woman killed in house fire 'should not have been living alone'

A 50-year-old woman who was killed when a fire engulfed her council bungalow should not have been living alone, her neighbours have claimed.

Nearly two dozen firefighters were called to the blaze at the home of the woman, named locally as Margaret Windsor, at about 5.30am on Friday.

Despite their efforts Ms Windsor was pronounced dead at the scene in Aberdeen.

Neighbours said her mental condition seemed to be deteriorating in the week before the fire.

Next door neighbour Kathleen Garden, 78, said: "I'm terribly upset because I didn't really know anything about her, where she was from or who her family were, because she just wasn't able to communicate that well.

"She was mentally ill. She would often knock at my door and she would try to talk to me, but she just rambled on about very random things.

"I don't think she should have been living alone and she didn't seem to have a lot of support."

"A couple of the neighbours I spoke to said she had been just wondering aimlessly up and down the street over the last few days talking to herself.

"She was completely harmless and I'm so sorry that this has happened, I just wish someone could have been there to help her. She didn't deserve this."

Michael Brady, who also lives on the same street, said: "I woke to the noise. I could hear the fire service trying to get into the house.

"I didn't realise what it was, but then I saw the smoke. I was really shocked,” the 58-year-old added.

A spokesman for Aberdeen City Council said Ms Windsor rented the property off the council, but was not receiving any support from their social care team.

Police and fire teams have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.

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