Mystery over the cause of fire in which Newbury woman died

Tania Lynch, aged 51, died during a fire in her home in Bodin Gardens, Newbury on December 9.
An inquest into her death at Newbury Town Hall last Wednesday heard that the alarm was initially raised after neighbour Lewis Whincup, reported a gas cylinder on fire nearby.
The fire brigade put out the fire but it was then noticed that smoke was coming from the rear of Ms Lynch’s property.
The fire was extinguished and the body of Ms Lynch was discovered inside. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The inquest heard that Ms Lynch had been suffering from alcohol abuse, anxiety and a depressive disorder over a number of years since at least 2003.
In a statement read at Newbury Town Hall last Wednesday, a pathologist at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Sukhvinder Ghataura, said that Ms Lynch had blackened fingers, hands, the right sole of her foot and charred toes.
There was also soot around her nostrils, mouth and lower neck and face.
Dr Ghataura said that there were no traces of alcohol in her system, just caffeine and an anti-depressant and that the cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning. The fire investigation report said that there had been numerous candles and lighters in the property as well as barbecue lighter fuel in an open container in the kitchen.
It added that the fire had possibly been started “as a result of deliberate ignition of materials in the property”.
On recording an open verdict, the assistant deputy coroner for Berkshire, Ashley Fegan-Earl, said that he could not say why the fire had been started deliberately.
He said: “We know she had suicidal thoughts in the past.
“The reality is we simply do not know the reason why the fire was started.
“We don’t know whether there was a link between the fire in her property and the gas cylinder.
“We simply do not know the full circumstances.”