A "loner" who was rescued from a blaze at his Edgware home nearly three weeks ago has died from his injuries.

Mill Hill firefighters found Terry Hodgson, 50, lying unconscious in the front room of his home in Foreland Walk on December 5 after fire broke out in his downstairs bathroom at 9.25am. He was taken to Chelsea and Westminster hospital by air ambulance. Another man was taken to Barnet Hospital suffering from shock and the effects of smoke. However, Mr Hodgson died last Wednesday.

Mill Hill fire station commander Steve Gleeson said: "This was a classic fire death. He died with 45 per cent burns to the lower part of his body. There was no smoke alarm in the property and he was a single man living alone."

Mill Hill sub officer Steve Johnson added: "It's one of those great tragedies. For somebody to die at that time of day is terrible and it must have been horrific for the gentleman. We urge people to buy smoke alarms if he'd had one it would probably have saved his life. They're the best Christmas present anyone could give, cost less than £5 and can save people from so much tragedy and heartache."

His neighbours Geoff and Dawn Shipman said Mr Hodgson had lived on his own for five years following the death of his mother. They said: "There was no way in because there was thick smelly smoke in the house. He was a bit of a loner you never really saw anyone go there."

An inquest into the death will be held shortly.

December 18, 2001 18:09

SARAH MILLS