THE man who died in a house blaze in North Yorkshire has been named locally as an ex-serviceman, James Kirkpatrick.

Mr Kirkpatrick, a widower in his late 70s, of Birch Grove, Harrogate, is thought to have been killed in the fire which devastated the semi-detached property in the early hours of Wednesday.

Police have not officially confirmed the identity of the person they found inside but said Mr Kirkpatrick, the sole resident and owner of the house, was still unaccounted for.

It was too soon to confirm if there were any suspicious circumstances surrounding the cause of the blaze.

More than 25 firefighters fought the flames after being called to the house at about 1.20am by two men who were walking home from a night out.

Meanwhile tributes have been paid to Patricia Wray, 47, who has been named locally as the victim of a house fire in Edward Street, Pocklington.

Mrs Wray lived at the house with her husband Paul and one of her two twin sons, Anthony, but was on her own in the house when the fire started.

Her other son, David, 21, said: “She was a happy, loving person.

“She liked to help others.

“If anyone needed a hand or help, she helped them.

“She will be sorely missed by all, especially us.” Mrs Wray’s husband Paul, 50, also paid tribute to his wife, saying she had enjoyed cooking, reading and knitting and that her family meant a lot to her.

He said: “She also loved animals. We have two cats.

“Anthony has two dogs who always fussed her.

“She was a loving wife and friend and a caring and loving person overall.”

Her family said Mrs Wray had done much to raise awareness for breast cancer after she was diagnosed with the disease in 2008.