A MAN was unable to rescue his 19-month-old granddaughter from his burning Ollerton flat after the front door slammed shut while he was outside.

Gracie-Mai Brown, also known as Gracie-Mai Hawkins, was rescued by firefighters, but died later at hospital.

An inquest heard how her grandfather Thomas Hawkins had tried to rescue her and her sister Phoenix, 4, from the fire at De Lacy Court, New Ollerton.

A police statement after the incident from Mr Hawkins, who has since died of an unrelated illness, was read out. He said he and his wife Miriam only moved to the flat a week before the incident.

Their granddaughters lived with them and that evening Mr Hawkins looked after the girls while his wife was out. He said they were playing and he was watching TV when he began to smell smoke.

Mr Hawkins had been smoking, but had put the cigarette butts in an empty beer bottle. He went into the flat's hallway and saw smoke coming from the girls' bedroom.

He said he grabbed the girls and led them to the front door.

But as he was getting Phoenix out of the flat Gracie-Mai ran back inside.

"There were no lights on in the corridor and thick black smoke everywhere," he said.

"I shouted for Gracie-Mai repeatedly. I could not see or hear her crying."

Mr Hawkins, who was outside with Phoenix, said the door suddenly slammed shut.

He realised he did not have his key and Gracie-Mai was locked inside. He could not open it and dialled 999.

"I have no words to even begin to express what happened in that flat and to my lovely baby girl," he said.

"Needless to say I am absolutely devastated."

At Nottingham Coroner's Court, fire investigator Ian Tomlin said remnants of cigarette papers were found in the girls' bedroom.

He said they believed Phoenix lit the papers using a cigarette lighter. Neighbours described the fire on the night of May 30 last year as an "inferno" and flames were seen coming from a window.

Firefighter Michael Allen said he and a colleague went into the flat through the girls' bedroom window. They found Gracie-Mai under the charred remains of the bathroom door which had collapsed. A post-mortem examination revealed she died from smoke inhalation.

Mr Tomlin said there had been a smoke alarm in the flat's hallway, but it had been taken down and placed on a chest of drawers in Mr and Mrs Hawkins' bedroom.

"If this alarm had been in the hall it would have given a very early alarm," he said.

Mr Tomlin said smoking materials, such as lighters, should not be left where children can reach them.

Notts Coroner Dr Nigel Chapman recorded a verdict of accidental death. He said: "It's quite clearly a tragic event that had an awful effect on Thomas. My deepest sympathy."