House fire not suspicious

A HOUSE blaze which cost the life of a Laughton Common man is not being treated as suspicious, according to South Yorkshire Police.

The police have also confirmed that the man who died in the fire on Meadow Street last Wednesday was Robert Walton, as named by the Advertiser last week.

A police spokesperson said: “Neither the fire nor the death are being treated as suspicious and we are preparing a file for the coroner.”

Fire crews from Aston Park, Maltby, Rotherham, Mansfield Road and Central stations were called to the scene at about 1.40am and the house was sealed off while crime scene investigators combed the property for clues.

A neighbour on Meadow Street, who asked not to be named, told the Advertiser that Mr Walton was a “decent chap” who had lived in the property for at least 30 years and was not married. The neighbour added that Mr Walton lived alone.