Village shocked over 'fire' death

THE village of Ripe was in shock this week after a popular local figure collapsed and died as he rushed to help friends whose home was being ravaged by fire.

David Oakenfold, who was in his sixties, was racing to the blazing house when he collapsed in the street in the early hours of Sunday.

Firefighters and villagers who had turned out to fight the blaze tried to revive him but he later died at Eastbourne District General Hospital. A post mortem carried out this week established that Mr Oakenfold died of natural causes.

He had been on his way to help his friends, the Toureau-Tonkin family, who lived at The Barn in Ripe Lane. They escaped the fire without injury but their home, a converted single-storey barn, was burned to the ground.

It is believed the couple and their four children, aged seven to 14, are staying in a mobile home belonging to friends in Chalvington. Villagers have rallied round the family to provide them with clothes and other essentials.

The families became friends after Mr Oakenfold's wife, Marion, began caring for one of Mr and Mrs Toureau-Tonkin's children - who has special needs - at the local school. Both the Toureau-Tonkin family and the family of Mr Oakenfold were too distressed to talk this week.

Parish priest the Rev David Farey said: 'This is a small community and everybody is totally shocked and devastated. Mr Oakenfold was very well known in the village and was well liked.'

He said: 'They (the Toureau-Tonkins) lose everything and then on top of that someone they knew and liked collapses and dies. It's unbelievable.'

He said Mr Oakenfold's widow was in 'deep shock' while the couple's adult daughter was 'devastated' by her father's death. Describing the effect the tragedy had had on the village, he said: 'One evening you go to bed and everything is normal; then all hell breaks loose during the night and everything is different the next day. It's very traumatic for everyone and it's going to take a long time for people to come to terms with it.'

Mr Oakenfold was a sidesman at St John's Church and helped in the setting up of services and the greeting of worshippers. A service will be held in his memory at the church in the near future. He also worked at Lewes auction house Gorringes.

Gill Baldwin, landlady of The Lamb Inn, said: 'The flames were up to twice the height of the house in no time. I called the fire brigade but by the time they arrived - well, it was gone. They were lucky to get out alive, I think.'

An East Sussex Fire Brigade spokesman said the first call was received from the public at 12.47am but by the time the first firefighters arrived at the scene, just seven minutes later, the house was already 'well alight'.

It took 20 officers two hours to bring the blaze under control and stop it spreading to neighbouring buildings. The fire is not being treated as suspicious.