Three people have died in two house fires overnight, despite brave rescue attempts by neighbours and firefighters.
In the first fire, two pensioners were killed at a house in Deptford, south-east, London.
Around 20 firefighters went to the scene in Ashmead Road at 9.40pm last night.
The blaze engulfed the building from the ground floor to the roof and the bodies of a woman in her 80s and a man in his 60s were found inside.
London Fire Brigade station manager Lee Sparks, who was at the scene, said: "Neighbours alerted the brigade when they saw smoke coming from the house.
"Two members of the public entered the house in an attempt to rescue the occupants but were unable to reach them.
"These two people were treated at the scene by London Ambulance Service."
The Metropolitan Police is investigating the cause of the blaze.
A spokesman said officers believed they knew the identities of the dead, but were awaiting formal identification and confirmation that next of kin had been informed.
Meanwhile, just over four hours later, firefighters were called to a severe fire at a block of flats in Plymouth, which left one man dead and another missing.
The blaze broke out in a fourth floor apartment on Union Street just before 2am New Year's Day.
Three people were rescued from a flat on the fourth floor and more than 30 others were evacuated from the building.
Six fire crews tackled the blaze, the cause of which is not yet known.
The dead man, who was found in the flat, has not been identified.
