A popular Roman Catholic priest died in a fire probably sparked by embers from his pipe falling on to paper.

Father Gwendiran Patrick Stanislaus Emmanuel, known as Father Pat, died in the fire at his church-owned home at Peacehaven in April.

An inquest into the death of the 49-year-old priest at Eastbourne Magistrates Court yesterday recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Friends, colleagues and parishioners of the Church of the Immaculate Conception of our Lady of Ranson, in Peacehaven, attended the hearing.

Sarah Griffith, of the Forensic Science Service, said the most likely causes of the fire were the discarded remnants from Father Emmanuel's pipe, or a hot lightbulb from a lamp, setting fire to paper stacked on a shelf or on the floor.

She said the fire probably smouldered before catching hold of the rest of the building but the cause was almost certainly not deliberate.

David Berry, of Horsham Avenue, Peacehaven, told the inquest he had woken just after 1am on April 4, to hear the sound of crackling.

He said: "I went to my window and saw fire coming from the roof of the vicarage. There was some crackling and some tiles were exploding off the roof into my garden.

"I phoned the fire brigade and ran outside in the street. When I got outside there were other people out there just incredulously watching this fire, thinking what we could do."

Father Emmanuel was pronounced dead on arrival at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Dr Nathaniel Cary, a Home Office pathologist, said the priest had died from the effects of the smoke which would have been exaggerated by heart disease discovered during a post-mortem exam.

Speaking after the inquest, Father Hull said the church had collected just under £1,000 which would be sent to Father Emmanuel's mother and sister in Sri Lanka.

The house may be rebuilt, he said.