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'I WAS NEARLY DYING'
A NEIGHBOUR of JLS star Oritse Williams was "choking" on smoke as a "suspicious" fire ripped through his £3million mansion days after he was acquitted of rape.
Yesterday afternoon's blaze at the six-bedroom pad in Croydon, South London is being investigated as attempted arson.
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Around 70 firefighters battled the blaze that tore through the 32-year-old singer's home.
Most of the roof and the second floor in the three-storey luxury house were destroyed in the inferno.
The blaze came after Williams was cleared of an attack on a 20-year-old after a gig in December, 2016.
Neighbour and ex-member of girl band Fe-Nix Tanya Gordon, 32, who had known Williams for several years, said: "I was walking past and there was so much smoke I was choking.
"I was nearly dying. The smoke was getting into my lungs.
"It is definitely suspicious. It has been empty for about a year.
"How does it get into that big blazing fire?
"It was really strong. It was blazing out of control."
'SO DANGEROUS'
The mum-of-two, who released the song Lady Baby in 2009 and toured with the Pussycat Dolls and N-Dubz, added: "I was going to walk past with my kids and the fire brigade said 'you have to walk through the forest because it is so dangerous'.
"I used to work with him. We have performed together.
"I saw him about a year ago. He was coming out of the house with his hood on.
"I think he was there on his own for a while. I would see him with his hood up.
"He used to walk to the shops sometimes or he was jogging.
"As far as I knew he was a nice guy."
Another neighbour, Julie Baxter, 54, an office manager, said: "I heard all the sirens about 4.30pm.
"I could see black smoke from over there. But by the time I saw that the fire was out.
"I just saw the smoke above me. The house smells of smoke.
"I am just glad nobody was hurt."
Tanya Gordon appears in music video for the track Lady Baby by Fe-nix
RECENT VANDALISM
One local man said Williams' house had been vandalised shortly after he was acquitted of rape last week.
He said: "Thursday or Friday, a couple more windows had been smashed, a roller blind had been thrown out the window, a few roof tiles had been chucked on the floor on the drive.
"I saw a couple of lights on above the kitchen.
"It was the day after Oritse got cleared. It was fresh damage.
"There had been a couple of smashed windows because its been empty a year.
"When I went up there Thursday or Friday there were about another six or seven smashed windows.
"But I didn't see anyone in there.
"I think the house got repossessed. He hasn't been there for well over a year.
"I noticed Oritse's car was down at The Cricketers pub for a good eight weeks.
"He just left it and it was clamped after a while.
"That was last year."
ABANDONED MANSION
Ex-boyband star Williams is not believed to currently live at the property, which was once owned by TV funnyman Ronnie Corbett.
Firefighters, police officers and two fire engines remained outside the house this morning.
The roof had partially caved in and its blackened wooden beams were exposed.
Charred debris littered the ground outside the front of the house, with one front window broken.
Two large fire hoses attached to a fire engine coiled into the house driveway.
There were no reported injuries in the fire.
The property had fallen into disrepair after the allegations came to light.
A swimming pool in the garden was filled with green, stagnant water.
Following the rape charge, Williams put his house on the market for £1.75 million, a £1.25 million loss on what the Beat Again hitmaker paid for it in 2013.
Ten fire engines raced to tackle the inferno after an emergency call at 4.27pm yesterday.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Police were called at 16:39hrs on Tuesday, 4 June following reports of a fire at a residential address in Spout Hill, Croydon.
"Officers attended with LFB.
"There were no reported injuries. There have been no arrests.
"At this stage, the incident is being treated as suspicious.
"The cause of the fire is under investigation."
A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: "Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters were called to a fire at a derelict property on Spout Hill in Croydon.
"Part of the first and second floor of a detached three-storey building were damaged by fire.
"A small part of the roof was also damaged.
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"The Brigade was called at 16:27 and the fire was under control by 18:58.
"Fire crews from Addington, Croydon, Biggin Hill, Purley and surrounding fire stations were at the scene."
"The cause of the fire is under investigation."
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