A man has been found dead at Peasedown St John near Bath in the wake of a fire which severely damaged a house in Melksham.

Avon and Somerset Police said on Wednesday that a man had been found seriously injured after an incident in which a vehicle caught fire at about 6.20am this morning.

In a statement, they added: "Police are investigating after a man was seriously injured in an incident in which a vehicle caught fire in Peasedown St John. It happened at about 6.20am on Wednesday, 2 October.

"A man in his 50s has now sadly died following the incident. His family are aware. Detectives are not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident."

On Monday, a dental nurse praised firefighters who prevented a fire that severely damaged the next door house from sweeping through her home.

Sue Ballinger, 54, said the crews had stopped the fire from spreading to her home in Peel Court, Melksham, at around 5am on Monday morning (30.09.19).

She said: “They were amazing. They were absolutely superb. I am very, very lucky. They saved my house. If they had arrived a few minutes later, it could have been a very different story.”

Mrs Ballinger said: “I was awoken at 4.50am by the sound of somebody ringing my doorbell.

“At that point, I did not know what was going on and I was a bit nervous as it was pitch black so I went back upstairs.

“I heard the doorbell ringing again so I went back downstairs to answer it.

“At that stage, I didn’t know that a fire had broken out and didn’t know the house next door was on fire.

“Then I heard the noise through the wall of things exploding. It was coming from the front bedroom.

“Then my lodger called and said the house next door was on fire. I said call 999 and he told me he was already on it.

“I threw on some clothes and went outside and shut all my bedroom doors.

“When I went outside I could see flames coming through the front door and the lights went out and then the front window blew out.

“I was waking up all my neighbours so that we could move our cars,” said Mrs Ballinger, who is a dental nurse.

Police and fire investigators are investigating the cause of the fire that severely damaged the house next door to Mrs Ballinger's home.

It is understood the man found dead is Mrs Ballinger's neighbour. An investigation into how the fire started is ongoing.

A Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said: "We’re not treating it as suspicious."

DWFRS added: “We were called to Peel Court, Melksham, at 5.08am for a fire in a three-storey house.

“Four crews attended, from Trowbridge (two), Corsham and Bradford on Avon and four breathing apparatus wearers, two hose reel jets and a main jet were used to extinguish the fire, which was located in a first floor bedroom and adjacent landing. An investigation into how the fire started is underway.”

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: “We were called by the fire service at 5.10am today due to a fire at a property in Peel Court, in Melksham. At this stage the fire is not believed to have been started deliberately.”

The crews made sure the house was fully ventilated before leaving the scene at around 8am. The fire-damaged house is now boarded up to ensure that it is secure.