BRAVE neighbours have been praised for trying to save the life of an alcoholic who was killed in a fire at his Darwen home.

Neil Whalley was more than four times the legal drink-drive limit when he died as a result of inhaling cyanide fumes during the fire.

An inquest heard he was found still sitting in the chair which had caught fire, probably because of contact with an unguarded inspection light.

And coroner Michael Singleton said that while smoke detectors had not been installed in the house, it was unlikely they would have roused Mr Whalley.

He also praised the efforts of neighbours Alexander Armour, Carol Clark and her son who kicked in the front door and tried to force their way into the blazing house.

"It never ceases to amaze me the lengths people will go to and the danger they will put themselves in, in their efforts to save others," said Mr Singleton.

"That their efforts in this case were unsuccessful in no way detracts from their heroic attempt."

The inquest heard that Mr Whalley and his partner, Ann Williams, who lived in Blackburn Road, had been drinking all day.

When Mr Armour and Mrs Clark returned to their home about 9.50pm on November 11, smoke was billowing from the house next door.

Miss Williams was found wandering in the back alley and it was assumed Mr Whalley was still inside. As they tried to kick in the front door, the front room window shattered because of the heat.

When the door was eventually kicked off its hinges, smoke and flames shot out. Firefighters were on the scene within three minutes of the alarm being raised and found Mr Whalley in a chair in the front room.

Assistant divisional officer Stuart Padbury said the furniture contained non-modified foam and the covering material was not fire-retardant.

A post-mortem examination revealed a blood alcohol level of 353 against the legal driving limit of 80 but pathologist Dr Charles Wilson said the urine sample showed that the alcohol level had probably been even higher.

He said the furniture in the room would have given off cyanide when it burned although this was unstable after death and not detectable.

He gave the medical cause of death as inhalation of the products of combustion.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr Singleton also praised the work of the firefighters.