Friends have paid tribute to a man found dead by neighbours after a fire at a flat in Bradford.

The body of the man, named locally as father-of-two Mark Douglas, was discovered early on Saturday after fellow residents in Hunters Park Avenue, Clayton noticed the flat had been badly damaged by fire.

They alerted police and firefighters, who sealed off the entrance to the block of flats, named Clervaux Court, to investigate the cause of the blaze, which they believe to have been started by a discarded cigarette.

One neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said she had noticed a blackened window at the front of the flat was smashed and its curtains were missing at around 8.30am. Her husband then alerted residents inside the block who went to investigate.

Simon Hagerty, who lives directly below the flat and was a friend of Mr Douglas, said: “A neighbour shouted to me through my kitchen window and asked me to have a look. I said we had better go and check the flat. The hallway was black and the rooms were black. Everywhere seemed black. It was quite acrid and we couldn’t breathe well so we didn’t go any further and called the fire brigade.

“It’s such a shame because he was such a nice person. He was so close to his kids. He used to bend over backwards for them.”

Mr Hagerty added: “I kept in touch and listened out for him because we both suffered from epilepsy. From time to time you used to hear him having problems and I used to listen out for him because I know what it’s like. I heard him in the early hours of Saturday morning. I heard something that sounded like a fall and a smash and then I heard a vacuum cleaner so I assumed everything was ok.”

Mr Douglas, 31, had moved to the flat around two years ago while his wife and two young sons lived nearby.

Kelly Womersley, a friend of the family who had attended Thornton Grammar School with him, said: “He was well known around Clayton. He was known as ‘Dougie’. He was a good lad. He always had a smile on his face. He was always out with his boys come rain or shine. He was happy-go-lucky. It’s such a shame.”

A spokesman for Airedale and North Bradford CID said the fire was caused by a discarded cigarette on a sofa and the 31-year-old man found inside was believed to have died from smoke inhalation.

A police statement said: “At 9.15am on Saturday police were called to a report of a fire in the Clayton area of Bradford. The body of a man was found inside. Police are making inquiries at the scene but it’s not being treated as suspicious at this stage.”

email: hannah.baker @telegraphandargus.co.uk