A MAN has died following a fire at his flat in a council-owned sheltered housing block in the centre of York.

Firefighters were called to City Mills in Skeldergate shortly before 10am on Saturday after an automatic fire alarm went off at the premises.

Yesterday, North Yorkshire Police confirmed a man in his early 90s had died, though he had not yet been identified.

The cause of the incident is still under investigation. A spokesman for North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service said the fire broke out in the lounge of a second floor apartment, with flames and smoke damage spreading to the hallway and four other rooms.

City of York Council confirmed there had been a fire at one of their properties and that there had been a fatality.

Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing, the council’s cabinet member for health, housing and adult social services, said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the deceased man at this time. Staff from our housing teams are providing support to other residents in City Mills.

“While the police and fire services are carrying out an investigation into the circumstances of the fire, it would be inappropriate to comment further on the incident.”

Yesterday nobody was available at City Mills to comment.