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An heroic young architect died after rushing into a burning block of flats to try and save her fiance, an inquest heard.

Architecture graduate Sophie Rosser, 23, from Whitchurch, Cardiff, was returning from a birthday party in Chelsea in the early hours of August 26 2012 when she saw flames and smoke coming from the block of flats Meridian Place, Isle of Dogs, East London she shared with fiance Oscar Silva, 28.

Poplar Coroner's court heard Sophie phoned Oscar and then rushed into the block to try and raise the alarm.

Her body was found on the fourth floor and Oscar told the court he watched from the balcony, where he had fled from the smoke, as paramedics desperately tried to revive her.

In a statement read to the court, he said: "A cab dropped her off at 1.37 on Sunday morning (26 August 2012) and I was asleep. Sophie called me to say there was a fire and our flatmate and I should evacuate. The intercom sounded but I couldn't hear who it was.

"The stairwell was full of smoke so we couldn't get out. We went back into the flat. I rang Sophie at 1.43 but there was no answer. I went to get the lift thinking she might have got in, but when it arrived there was nobody in it. I closed the door to the flat and went to open the balcony.

"I saw the fire brigade arriving and I saw paramedics doing their best to revive Sophie. When we got out I went to the hospital and I saw her twice, but she never regained consciousness."

Pictures: Tragic Sophie Rosser

The inquest also heard the block of flats had a faulty fire alarm system.

Health and safety experts said the building's smoke alarms only alerted an alarm control system rather than warning residents, but the system had "crashed" and was not even linked to the nearest fire station to alert the firefighters.

Stanley Metcalfe, a fire and security expert from Rose Fire and Security questioned what the point was of having a system that was effectively useless.

He told the inquest: "In all my 24 years experience I have never seen a control panel crash.

"What happens with smoke detectors is they detect, then report that to the equipment which is initiated, ie the audible alarm. But here, the detectors had been activated, but the system had not been properly initiated.

"When we visited on the days after the fire we found that the control panel would not accept any commands at all. It showed a history of faults. The alarms system had crashed and effectively failed to operate."

Miss Rosser was found in the lobby of the fourth floor of the six floor building by fireman Joseph Carter.

Mr Carter, who was based at Millwall, told the inquest: "When we arrived there were people crying, telling us to get in and get people out. It was my first big fire so I was quite nervous.

"When we got to the fourth floor there was zero visibility and it was very, very hot. I could feel the heat coming through my boots. I was staying low, virtually kneeling. I was feeling around with my left arm whilst trying to keep the wall close enough to touch so I could feel where I was.

"You couldn't see anything. My arm was outstretched and I was feeling for anything.

"After about 10 seconds of entering the lobby I felt Sophie's foot with my hand. I shouted 'casualty' 'casualty' until I knew my colleague knew I had found someone. I got to her head and she was unconscious. I got her to the lobby door and passed her over to my colleague."

Coroner Mary Hassell asked Mr Carter if he could have remained conscious without breath apparatus in the area where he found Miss Rosser.

He said: "it was really bad, it was thick black smoke from ceiling to the floor. Smoke would have overcome her in a matter of seconds."

Miss Rosser was found on the fourth floor of the block, where the fire originated. It appears she was trying to make her way to the fifth floor where she lived with her boyfriend, to try and save him.

Coroner Dr Hassell asked: "Is there any reason why she could have ended up on the fourth floor when she knew she lived on the fifth? We know she was trying to get to her boyfriend, but could she have become disorientated?"

(Image: National News and Pictures)

Paul Hobbs, a firefighter from Whitechapel who arrived on the scene shortly after, told the inquest: "it's hard to say, but she would have been overwhelmed with smoke and with the adrenaline pumping, she could have become disorientated."

Grace Adong, a neighbour, at Meridian Place, told the inquest how she had left a damp towel over a lamp in her room, which appeared to cause the fire.

She said: "I didn't think it would be any danger, the lamp had never worked in the two months I had been there."

She said after returning from work she went to bed at about 1am but was woken by the smoke.

Mrs Adong told the court: "I went to sleep about 1am. I noticed white smoke coming under the bedroom door. I opened it and there was a metre high of smoke in the corridor. I went into the front room and there were flames an the curtain was on fire. I thought it best I opened the balcony door to get rid of some smoke."

The coroner asked: "Had it not occurred to you that by opening the balcony door it could make things worse?"

Miss Adong told the court: "no"

The court heard how she ran out of the flat and banged all the doors on her floor to alert people but the fire continued to rage.

The inquest heard that the building was fitted with smoke detectors which did not have "sounders" - an audible alarm - and there was no fire alarm.

Coroner Dr Mary Hassell queried: "Why have a system with no sounders?"

Mr Metcalfe replied: "I often ask the same question. I understand that an alarm sounding can cause panic, but with the stay put policy, which is used here, why not have some voice alarm to tell people what is happening.

"What is the point of a fire detection system which doesn't work? What was to stop anyone on that floor opening the door to the fire? With no communication system, how is anyone to know what to do?"

"Voice sounders can tell residents to keep calm. I really believe there needs to be a rethink of the stay put policy. There is a place for it, but usually the smoke detectors have a direct connection with the fire brigade, but not here."

(Image: National News and Pictures)

Dr Hassell asked Mr Metcalfe if he thought the smoke detection system could have stopped working during the fire.

He simply replied that was "unlikely".

The inquest also heard from Vance Miller, of Vance Miller health and safety.

He told the inquest how he had carried out a fire safety inspection at the building in 2005 and 2008.

He told the inquest: "My role was to review the fire precautions in place and recommend what needed to be done."

He told the inquest that although he was not qualified to test the smoke alarms, they had been in all the places he would have expected then to be. He said that the fire escape for the building was "down the stairs."

He said: "I did report one problem though, that there were flammable liquids blocking one fire escape."

Coroner Hassells asked: "Did you see any notices saying what to do in the event of fire?"

Mr Miller replied: "I didn't see any, but I would have expected to."

The coroner quizzed him after hearing his analysis.

She said : "Overall, is your assessment of the building a good one?"

"I would rather not answer that" replied Mr Miller.

Mr Julian Rosser, father of 23 year old Sophie, was sitting in court to hear the evidence, took exception to Mr Millers answers.

A clearly angry Mr Rosser said: "The fire risk assessment you did was factually incorrect. It has mistakes in it. There are no fire extinguishers in the building.

"Why did you not make a note if that? You have given a building a clean bill of health when it didn't deserve one. It is not a comprehensive for assessment. Don't you think you should have done a more detailed report?"

Mr Miller replied: "I would rather not answer that. People should not be encouraged to use fire extinguishers unless they are properly trained."

The five day inquest continues