AN INQUEST has opened into the death of an elderly woman who was recovered from a fatal house fire in Christchurch.

Annie Teresa Mitchell, 87, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene of her home address in King’s Avenue.

Senior coroner for Dorset, Racheal Griffin, opened the inquest into her death at Bournemouth Town Hall on July 4.

Coroner’s officer, Matt Cave, told Dorset Coroner’s Court that Annie was born on March 23, 1936 in Enniskillen, a town in Northern Ireland.

Her maiden name was Annie McMulkin and was a housewife and married to Terence Mitchell, a retired oil rig operator.

On September 13, 2023, police, fire service and paramedics were called to reports of a fire on the ground floor of a house in Kings Avenue.

Four fire crews battled the blaze but Annie was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination on September 15 by Dr Delaney found her provisional cause of death to be inhalation of products of combustion and ischemic heart disease.

At the time of the incident a man, who was known to Annie, was arrested on suspicion of murder but was later released under investigation.

A spokesperson for Dorset Police said there is no update at this time and that the arrested man remains released under investigation.

Enquiries are ongoing.

Ms Griffin adjourned the inquest until December 10, 2024 at 2pm.