FLORAL tributes have been laid in memory of a man who died when a devastating blaze ripped through his home in the early hours.

The man was caught in the fire in his flat above a hairdressers in Ashurst - which tore the roof off the building and caused neighbours to flee.

Now shocked friends and villagers have paid tribute to the man - named locally as Ian - they describe as a "genuine fellow" and a popular regular at their nearby pub.

It comes as police today step up their investigations to determine what caused the fatal blaze - which they are not treating as suspicious.

They are yet to identify him - but last night grieving friends laid bouquets of flowers on the steps of Ashcroft hair salon in Lyndhurst Road where two officers in a police car were on guard.

The fire broke out in the building in Lyndhurst Road, Ashurst, shortly before 2.30am yesterday.

Neighbour John Blow, 69, awoke to hear the commotion and rang 999.

He said:"It was the fire that woke me up, crackling and the banging.

"I just ran down the stairs and up the garden and rang the fire brigade.

"I heard the explosion, it blew the roof off and started spread to my place.

He added: "I just got a rush of adrenaline to get out, it it just such a shame because of the guy next door, he was a genuine fella and really nice."

More than 30 firefighters from St Mary's, Totton and Redbridge fire stations arrived to tackle the flames and spent most of the day carrying out investigations in the badly damaged building.

Last night there was a sombre atmosphere in the nearby Happy Cheese pub where the man in believed to be a regular and often attended the Wednesday night quiz there.

People had placed flowers on the hairdressers' doorstep with one message saying: "Rest in Peace Ian. You will be sadly missed. Kathy."

Earlier pub owner Nick Hunter, 52, "The staff were always having a bit of banter with him, he always sat on barstool and got it ready for the quiz.

"He always asked how you were and wanted to have a chat, he would give a bit of jip and a bit of banter but never anything sinister.

"The quiz tonight is going to be hard. There will be a period of mourning and remembrance, he was part of the fabric of the building."

Harriet Frampton, 22, from Totton is the assistant manager at the pub and often served him his pint of Ringwood Best.

She said: "We are all quite close here and he became part of it.

"He was always happy and he came here to have a joke and chat to people.

"He had a story for everything."

A statement from Hampshire Constabulary said: "Investigations are continuing into the circumstances of the fire alongside our colleagues at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service.

"At this stage the cause of the fire is not believed to be suspicious and we are preparing a file for the coroner.

"We are currently not in a position to release any further details of the deceased as no formal identification has been made."