A WOMAN died and a man was seriously injured in a fire at a Sussex caravan park.

Police and fire investigation experts spent the weekend sifting through the wreckage of the blaze in a mobile home at Drayton Caravan Park, near Chichester.

The body of Poppy Peters, in her sixties, was discovered in the blaze on Friday night. She was the wife of Charles Peters, 64, who suffered burns to his hands, feet and face in the fire and is recovering at St Richard's Hospital, Chichester.

The couple's pet dog, a golden retriever rescued from Battersea Dogs Home, was also killed in the fire.

The tragedy is the second fatal fire involving a mobile home in less than a week.

Barry Rutter, 45, was found dead at his home at Thornlea Caravan Park, Lyminster, near Littlehampton, on January 2, after a blaze believed to have been caused by a casserole left on the cooker.

Fire chiefs said people living in mobile homes had to be more careful than most because many have bottles of gas stored.

A Sussex brigade spokesman said: "It is unusual to have two similar tragedies so close together. Although the cause of the second has not been established we are asking people to please take extra care.

"In smaller buildings like this, gas cylinders can be a real hazard and will lead to fires spreading rapidly.

"There is also a trend for people to have lighted candles which can be easily knocked down and start a blaze.

"We would advise people who want to use candles never to leave them unattended."

Neighbours at 20-home Drayton Park described Mr and Mrs Peters as a loving couple whose son and two grandchildren

visited often.

Neighbour Nikki St Claire said: "They have been here for years and were very close to each other. They did not go out much.

"They were very friendly. It is a terrible thing to happen.

"The whole building just went up like a tinderbox.

"The first thing I knew about it was when I heard someone shouting. Charles was distraught.

"He had tried to go back in to get Poppy but the blaze had taken hold and there was no way he could manage it."

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