A mother burned herself to death in her back garden.

Birgit Bartlett, 51, was found dead at her Hollingbury Crescent home in Brighton on Saturday morning.

Her family discovered her body at the bottom of the garden shortly after 1.30pm.

After an investigation emergency services concluded she had set fire to herself.

They are not treating her death as suspicious.

Mrs Bartlett, who is understood to be originally from Germany and known locally as Bridget, had lived at the house in Hollingdean with her husband for about 20 years.

The couple were said to be semi-retired with two grown-up children.

Her husband and daughter had been unable to find her in the morning before they discovered her body.

The fire was out when emergency services arrived.

Mrs Bartlett was pronounced dead at the scene.

No information about what was used to start the fire has been released.

Neighbours said Mrs Bartlett’s husband and daughter sat on the wall outside the house as police, paramedics and firefighters worked at the bottom of the garden, concentrating their efforts under an apple tree.

One woman, who did not wish to be named, said: “We came home from shopping and I panicked because I thought it was a fire at our house.

“It is a terrible thing.”

Several police and fire investigation cars remained outside the house throughout the afternoon.

A fire investigation dog was used as part of the inquiry.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service attended an address in Hollingdean, Brighton, following a report of a fire in a garden.

“They discovered the body of a local woman aged 51.

“The matter is not being treated as suspicious and a file is being prepared for the coroner.”

A post-mortem examination is due to take place this week.

Friends said the family were too upset to speak yesterday.

People nearby said the emergency activity was unusual for the area, which is on a slope above a parade of shops in Hollingbury Place.

A member of staff at a nearby newsagents said the family had been customers for years.

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