NEIGHBOURS have told how they looked on helplessly as a woman tried to escape a blazing flat in Cwmbran.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of Samantha Thomas, 29, who died after her flat caught fire on Shakespeare Road in the St dials area of Cwmbran.

Firefighters were called at 6.38am to the first floor flat which also claimed the lives of two dogs.

A 49-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. The man was taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation after the blaze.

Anita Lamb, 60, a neighbour, said she was in her bathroom when she saw smoke coming from the flat.

She said: "I could hear strange noises and when I looked out the window there was smoke coming from the gutters."

She woke up her daughter Bobby Jones, 20, and her daughter's boyfriend David Leedham, 20, who then went to wake up the people living in flats near the fire.

They woke up a family who was living in the first floor flat next door to where the fire was. Mr Leedham said there were two little boys in the flat who were asleep and the fire was spreading to their roof.

He went with two other men around the back of the flats to where Ms Thomas was trapped on the balcony.

He said: "She was on the balcony frozen we were trying to get her to come down. One of the dogs squeezed through the railing and we grabbed the dog and put her on the floor.

He added: "She couldn't go back in - the roof was on fire and she was trapped on the balcony."

Ms Lamb said: "David had to get from there as it would have caught him. There was an explosion - the windows had smashed.

"One of the boys who had helped was in a terrible state of shock. It is all very very sad."

"She was a lovely girl."

Ms Lamb said they went to get a ladder to see if they could help Ms Thomas down from the balcony.

Nikki Mahagan, 34, a resident, said: "There were loads of flames. I heard sounds like gunshots - there were crackling sounds one after another.

"I could hear quite a few people screaming outside. Someone ran and asked me if I had a ladder as the woman was on the balcony but it was too late."

He added: "I could see smoke and flames coming from the roof."

Gaynor Haines, 69, who lives opposite the flat which was on fire said she was woken up at around 6.45am.

She said: "I heard her screaming - I was woken up by the screaming. I got out of bed and saw the flat was on fire.

"The flames were coming out of the living room and were heading towards next door's roof."

She added: "It has really upset me. It is very sad nobody deserves to die like that.

"She must have been very frightened and shaken - people were telling her to jump and she wouldn't."

Ms Haines said Ms Thomas had celebrated her 29th birthday at the weekend.

Rachel Luke, 36, said the dog which had escaped had run to her back garden due to the fire and she was currently looking after it.

Cllr Liz Haynes, member for St Dials, went to visit residents yesterday affected by the fire.

She said: "I'm knocking on doors to check if everyone is okay after this tragedy. It is devastating."

"We gave really good community support here in St Dials. People look after one another here."

Glynis Williamson said: "It's terrible - so awful. I've lived here for 30 odd years."

The fire affected one flat of a block of four flats. Three of the four flats were Bron Afon Community Housing.

The residents of the flats were evacuated and alternative accommodation was being sought for them.

Duncan Forbes, chief executive of Bron Afon, who owned the flats, said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the woman who died this morning. We have found alternative accommodation for seven residents who were evacuated and will be offering any help needed by the police and fire service in their investigation. One resident said they have found somewhere to stay.”

A Wales and West Utilities spokesman said they sent engineers to the scene of the fire.

He said: “The fire had damaged the properties gas supply pipe, and working with South Wales Fire & Rescue Service we made the gas supply safe.

“The public gas network was not affected by this incident.”