A building contractor carrying out works at Gibson Court has told how the loft space at the property was a "disaster, full stop", an inquest heard.

In the third day of evidence of the inquest of Irene Cockerton, 87, who died after a fire at the Manor Road North retirement home in 2011, Graham Ralston told the court how the fire curtains in part of the roof space had been cut by other contractors.

Mr Ralston said: "The fire curtains were torn away from the wall, some had been cut half way across.

"I reported what I saw to the manager [Marion Debeer] and she said she would have to involve somebody else. I told them what it was like up there and something would have to be done about it."

Explaining to coroner Richard Travers what he had seen, he described how Sky and electric cables had been fed through the curtains, leaving holes.

Despite expressing concerns about the area of the loft he had entered, on the right of the property where there is a second floor of flats, Mr Ralston said he was "not allowed" to go into roof space on the other side of the building.

Mr Ralston said: "I spoke to Marion about it and said about coming back about the other two loft areas. She spoke to her area manager and from what I gather, it was not deemed necessary."

Mr Ralston also told the court he looked at other areas within the building and said some fire doors were "not sitting properly" with some door stops missing.

When fire alarms were tested, Mr Ralston claimed some fire doors were not released, meaning they did not close.

Mr Ralston said: "Some didn't even have the catches on them. They were using door stops to hold them open."

The court was also told the glass in the communal lounge door was just "standard" and that type of glass should not have been used in the door.

During the start of cross examination, Mr Ralston said he never entered the roof space in the two other areas of Gibson Court but said he offered to inspect it.

The inquest continues.