A FERNDOWN pensioner has finally been able to lay his daughter to rest, a year after she died in an apartment fire in Paris.

Ronald Smithson has spent the past year urging the French authorities to return the organs of daughter Tina, 46, after they were held as part of the fire investigation.

Tina, a matrimony solicitor from Harrow, and two friends had been celebrating her birthday when a fire broke out as they slept and killed them.

An inquest held in Dorset in August concluded Tina died due to an accident in the early hours of March 10, 2007.

The 78-year-old has attended two cremations of his daughter's remains - the first of her body on May 23, 2007, the second, which took place last week of her organs, which were repatriated in November but without the necessary documentation for cremation.

Mr Smithson, 78, said: "Losing my only child is heartbreaking enough - but I've had to say goodbye twice.

"The extra stress of trying to get her organs returned has been unbearable.

"Thankfully I have a wonderful police family liaison officer, DC Anthony Merrifield, who has been helping me."

Paying tribute to his daughter, Mr Smithson added: "We were very close.

"After my wife died she came to see me every other weekend, we'd cook for each other and go shopping together."

Mr Smithson is now waiting to hear the outcome of the fire investigation from the French authorities.