An 82-year-old man died in a flat fire last night.

Neighbours tried to save the man, who lived alone, after his flat in Benhill Wood Road caught fire at around 10pm yesterday, when they heard his smoke alarm and tried get him out of the inferno. 

They made verbal contact with him but the flames were too intense for them to get inside.

**UPDATE (11.26am): Pensioner dead in flat fire was 'wonderful' snake man Jed Edge **

Firefighters brought the blaze under control by 11pm but the man's body was found inside. The fire damaged a large part of the flat.

An investigation is underway but police are treating the fire as non-suspicious at this stage.

The flats surrounding the blaze were evacuated and three other people have been taken to hospital for smoke inhalation treatment.

Did you see what happened? Contact the newsdesk by calling 020 8722 6359 or email: mike.pyle@london.newsquest.co.uk.