A young girl died when fire ripped through a first-floor flat above a shop.

The child, aged about three, was found on a bed by firefighters in the front bedroom of the two-storey building.

Fire investigation officers were today trying to establish the cause of the blaze which broke out in South Street, Keighley, yesterday afternoon.

Dale Turner, who works at a second-hand furniture shop below the flat, told how he dashed into the building as a man and a woman carrying a child fled from the back door.

"I was in the shop when someone said it was on fire upstairs," said Mr Turner, 39, of Rydal Street, Keighley. "I ran round the back and banged on the door and two people ran out. A woman was carrying a child and was screaming that her baby was upstairs. I know the layout, so I ran upstairs and into the first bedroom. There was black smoke and I could hardly see anything but there was no-one in that room.

"The window at the front had blown out and there was smoke and flames coming down the landing from the other room. The door was shut. There was no way you could get in that room. If I had opened the door I would have been burned."

Keighley firefighters fought the blaze from the roof of an outhouse before entering the building wearing breathing gear.

Station Officer Philip Troake said the dead girl was found in the front bedroom, from which smoke and flames had been pouring when they arrived at the scene. "Neighbours and family told us that there was a child still inside the property," he said.

"It was a difficult job. It was hard to see through the black smoke."

Neighbour Brian Paul said the family had two young daughters and two teenagers.

He said: "They are a nice family. I spoke to them every so often but they tended to keep to themselves."

Ambulance crews treated two people for smoke inhalation at the scene and neighbours were evacuated.

Fire investigation officer Ian Purcell said it could take several days before the cause of the fire was identified.

The Coroner has been informed of the girl's death and an inquest will be held later.