Pensioner's body recovered from house blaze

The body of a 70-year-old man was recovered from a burnt-out thatched cottage in Co Laois today.

Firefighters attended the scene of the blaze in the Heath, around eight kilometres from Portlaoise, Co Laois, at 2.10am.

Fears mounted this morning that the elderly sole occupant of the single-storey house may have been inside and his family were notified, gardaí said.

A Garda forensic unit conducted an extensive search of the rubble and debris after the fire was brought under control.

His body was found shortly before 12.30pm.