A care home resident who died after suffering severe burns in a fire had reportedly set himself on fire with a cigarette.

Stephen Dennis died in hospital on Valentine's Day, the day after being admitted following a fire at Goodwins Hall care home in King's Lynn, where he was a resident. He was 69.

It has been reported that Mr Dennis had set himself on fire with a cigarette, before being admitted to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.

On Monday, an inquest into his death opened in Norwich.

It heard that Mr Dennis, who was born in Outwell, died of mutliple organ failure related to flame burns.

Assistant coroner Johanna Thompson said: "It has been suggested that he had been smoking a cigarette."

The inquest was adjourned until September 14.

A spokesman for Athena Care Homes, which runs the Lynn facility, said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by the death of one of our residents following an incident at Goodwins Hall care home.

“Our thoughts and sympathies are with the resident’s family and friends. The whole Athena family has been deeply affected by this incident."