AN elderly man, possibly disabled, is believed to have died in a horror fire at his Bradford home this evening.

Fire crews from Odsal were called to a "serious" blaze at a house on Croft Street in Wibsey, and alerted police to attend the scene just after 5.30pm.

It is thought the victim may have been inside the property as the fire took hold.

When the Telegraph & Argus visited the scene tonight, severe damage could be seen to a two-storey house on Croft Street, with the front of the building turned black as a result of the blaze.

A canopy had been erected to cover a smashed ground-floor door and window, with damage also evident to the rear of the house.

Croft Street and Sharp Street were cordoned off, with three police vans, a scientific support vehicle, and a fire engine in attendance, later joined by a private ambulance.

A member of staff from Wibsey Spice, on the corner of Sharp Street, who did not wish to be named, said would-be rescuers had tried to break down the back door of the house when they realised it was on fire.

"I saw the smoke billowing out and ran outside," he said. "A group of people kicked the back door through and there were flames coming out.

"I have no idea what has caused it.

"There is a disabled gentleman that lives there.

"He's always in the house, so I presume he was in, although the police haven't told me for definite.

"He was an oldish man, and I knew him to say hello and good morning to, asking how he was.

"It's very sad."

One local woman said she had been told by people at the scene that an elderly man inside the house had died in the blaze.

"My mum lives on Sharp Street, but we can't get back to her flat," she said.

"Apparently the man inside has died.

"I didn't know him, but I think he lived on his own, and I'm not sure whether he had any family.

"It's awful what has happened."

Another resident whose daughter lives on Sharp Street said: "We set off at 5pm to take the dog out, and everything was quiet.

"When we came back around 45 minutes later, you couldn't get to any of the streets, they had all been cordoned off.

"I've only lived here for a couple of years, and I don't know who lived in the house.

"The fire must have gone up so quick."

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said there had been a "serious house fire" in Wibsey at 5.31pm, but said the police were "dealing with further press enquires."

However, despite repeated requests from the Telegraph & Argus, police had not released any further details of the incident more than four hours after the blaze started, except to state that enquiries into the incident were "ongoing."