Death of a gentle loner

Ken McCallum fought against thick, black smoke at the property in New Parade, Worthing, at around 2.45pm on Saturday, desperately trying to find the "gentle but troubled" man neighbours this week named as Steven Tyler. Firefighters recovered his body after ordering Mr McCallum from the scene.

Mr McCallum, 57, who lives in the same block of flats, said: "Five minutes before the alarm went off I heard a noise. I went to the window and heard a groaning, as if someone was having an awful nightmare. Then a great puff of black smoke came out of his window.

"I tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge without a latch key, so I went back upstairs to get one and dial 999."

Mr McCallum said by the time he ran back downstairs, somebody else had arrived with a key and opened the door.

"There was a lot of smoke but no flames, which I thought was very odd.

"I had to run back upstairs to get a torch and someone else gave me another torch. I stood at the open door, feeling for a light switch, and thought; 'Jesus, what am I going to do?'. I knew I had to go in because I knew someone was in there.

"I could just make out his bed in the thick, black smoke. It was so difficult to see. I had never been in a position like that before.

"I stood in the doorway of his kitchen for almost a minute before I saw him, laying on his back. He wasn't moving, wasn't breathing, wasn't groaning. He was just so still and motionless.

"When I got to the body I lent down and touched the back of his hand. It was cold and straight away I got the impression he was dead.

"I have not put it out of my mind."

Mr McCallum then heard noise outside. Three fire crews arrived at the scene and fire fighters, using breathing apparatus, ordered him outside.

Onlookers said Mr McCallum looked "obviously shaken". He was taken to Worthing Hospital where he received treatment after breathing in smoke.

Three other people were evacuated from the Victorian building and forced to wait outside for three hours.

Friends of Mr Tyler, who is believed to have been in his 30s, say he had a history of health problems and had led a "turbulent" life.

Tony Leyton, 53, owner of Pickwick Newsmarket, saw Mr Tyler an hour before the incident, when he visited the shop to buy a bottle of drink and some rolling tobacco.

He said: "He was a lovely chap but something happened in his life that seriously upset him.

"He held down a steady job when he moved to the area but whatever happened really affected him.

"By all accounts, he was starting to get himself together. Now I'm just shocked. It took me a while to realise that we won't see him anymore."

Close friend Wendy Rickards added: "He was a super guy, a very gentle, lovely person. Nobody could say a nasty word about him."

Mrs Rickards said the fire system was checked every three months. She added that a council inspection with fire chiefs had been carried out in April.

Sub officer Sean Lawrence, from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, was first on the scene.

He said: "The crew who found him were searching in total darkness because of the thick black smoke and did well to find him quickly and restrict the fire to just the one room but regrettably, on this occasion, our actions were unable to save a life."

Fire officials are still investigating what caused the blaze.

Mr Lawrence added: "Our investigations will concentrate not just on how the fire started but also the circumstances which led to the fire being discovered, the provision of any smoke detectors or fire warning, and any other agencies that may have known of the deceased."