A MAN who attempted to save a woman's life while fire raged in her home has been devastated by her death.

Railway maintenance worker Paul Taylor, 30, made a futile bid to enter the home of the woman living in the same block of flats as himself, as the fire took hold in her bedroom.

The woman has been named by neighbours as Rachel Allport, 42, a Great Western Hospital nurse who lived in Walker House, Whitworth Road.

Investigations are continuing into how the fire, which happened on Friday night, started. However, police have now ruled out any suspicious circumstances.

Mr Taylor said: "I was in my flat sorting out my fishing gear and I heard someone shouting 'fire,' so I ran around to the front of the block to see which flat it was.

"It was obvious where the fire was because the windows were starting to crack due to the heat. So I ran around the back and one of my neighbours, Doreen, opened the door and thick black smoke came rushing out.

"We didn't know if she was in or not, but when I saw her car there I said 'someone has to go in'.

"I pulled my shirt off and put it over my head, but when I got in I could not see where I was going.

"The smoke was so thick I couldn't see a thing.

"I think I got as far as the living room but then I was starting to choke so I had to come back out."

Then two fire crews arrived about 6.40pm as he went back to his flat to get a wet towel to put over his head so he could try and enter the flat for a second time.

He ran to the front of the block to stop the traffic and show firefighters which flat to go to.

He said: "It's hard to find the words for how I feel right now, I'm just absolutely gutted. I don't think I could have done anything more but it is always in the back of your mind.

"The fire brigade told me that if I had made it to her bedroom I would not have come back out alive because I would have become disorientated.

"She was a lovely lady, she worked nights at Sainsbury's while studying to become a nurse, it's such a tragedy."

Ms Allport lived alone but her flat was up for sale. She told neighbours she was planning to move to a house.

Insp Max Sharman, of Swindon police, said: "We are no longer treating it as suspicious. We believe the woman died as a result of the fire."

Walker House is a block of 12 private flats occupied by couples, single people and the elderly.