THE residents of the house on whose driveway a man died in a blazing car have spoken briefly of the tragedy.

Police are investigating how and why the man came to die in the Citroen Berlingo van in Chandler’s Ford in the early hours of Sunday.

An elderly woman, who answered the door of the house in Donnington Close, said yesterday: “I am not going to say anything. I don’t know yet, I’m just praying to my God. I don’t know who the man was. My daughter is in shock.”

An elderly man who returned to the address said he had been in hospital. He was taken by ambulance shortly after the fire erupted.

He said: “We had been asleep inside the house. I saw just the fire going out,” adding he did not want to comment further.

The couple have lived in the road for many years and are visited regularly by at least two grown-up children, a man and a woman.

Graham Mason, 70, who lives next door, said he had heard music blaring and then an explosion.

He said: “I looked out the window and saw the flames coming up from the van. I got dressed and went to use water but by that time the fire brigade were here.”

Mr Mason added that he had not been aware until the following day there was a person in the van. “I just wish I’d moved quicker, I don’t know what to say.”

One neighbour, who said she believed the family surname was Singh, said she did not know what had happened or who the man was.

She said: “It’s all very sad. They seem like an absolutely lovely family, they’re very involved in the Sikh religion.

“They always tell us about big weddings they have.  They have been here for years and years,” she said.