An 85-year-old died in hospital five days after a house fire caused by a discarded cigarette setting light to his bedding, an inquest heard.

Fire broke out at widower Robert Martin's home in Seymour Park Road, Marlow, just after 8am on Saturday, August 9 - trapping him in the downstairs bathroom.

He was rescued by firefighters but died at Wexham Park Hospital after failing to recover from the effects of breathing in smoke.

The retired waste management operative's bed had been moved to the living room the day before the fire after he had suffered a number of falls down the stairs, the inquest heard.

An investigation showed the fire - described as 'severe' by Station Manager Danny Whitelock, the first fire officer on the scene - was caused by Mr Martin's bedding catching light from discarded smoking material.

Two crews from High Wycombe and another from Beaconsfield attended, extinguishing the blaze and rescuing father-of-five Mr Martin before passing him into the care of the ambulance service.

The inquest heard Mr Martin, a heavy smoker, suffered from Chronic Obstructive Pulmanory Disease, which affected his ability to breathe.

Dr Rick Panigrahi, who carried out the post mortem, said the symptoms of the condition would have been exacerbated by Mr Martin breathing in the smoke from the fire.

The doctor added Mr Martin suffered from other health problems which would also have been worsened by exposure to the smoke.

Dr Panigrahi gave the official cause of death as acute infection caused by exacerbated COPD, in the context of smoke inhalation. He told the inquest: "It's a combination of the factors coming together."

Coroner Richard Hulett gave a narrative verdict as he felt Mr Martin's death did not fit the category of natural causes or accident.

He said: "He was found to be in the bathroom in his house engulfed by smoke. He was rescued, taken to hospital but died five days later."