A ‘devoted’ couple married for more than 70 years have died in an early-morning blaze at the home where they had lived for decades. The couple, named locally as Len Hall, 96, and wife Pat, 93, were found unresponsive at their dormer bungalow after a paper boy dialled 999. Mr Hall, a former draughtsman, was a devoted cricket fan who was hailed as one of his county’s most loyal and long-standing members last year. In a video posted to Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s website in September, Mr Hall, a former draughtsman, was presented with a team shirt with his name and age on the back by the club’s president, Dennis Amiss. Last night the couple’s niece, Dawn Hall, 65, told of her shock at learning her relatives had died in the blaze in Rugby, Warwickshire, this morning. The retired NHS clerical workers said: ‘I was called by another relative and told that Uncle Len and Aunty Pat had died. I couldn’t understand it. ‘Len was as fit as a fiddle, for a man of his age. He would have definitely lived until 100 - he only stopped driving around six months ago. ‘I was told the paper boy heard the smoke alarm ringing – they must’ve already been overcome by smoke before it went off because otherwise my uncle would’ve been on the phone and trying to get help.’ She said the pair supported Coventry City together and regularly attended matches in their younger days, including the team’s famous FA Cup final victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley in 1987. The couple have two sons, one of whom, Gary, lives further along the same road. It is understood a neighbour of Mr and Mrs Hall ran down to his house to alert him of the blaze. Mr Hall declined to comment last night but Dawn, his cousin, told how the 62-year-old tried to rescue his parents. Ms Hall, also of Rugby, added: ‘Gary said he tried to get in to the back of the house but when he opened the door he was hit with clouds of smoke. ‘Uncle Len and Aunty Pat were totally devoted – they would walk hand-in-hand down the street together.’ The blaze broke out on a quiet estate close to the town centre, little more than a stone’s throw away from Rugby School, where boarding fees topped £53,000 for the current academic year. Neighbours said Mr and Mrs Hall, a former building society worker, had lived there for more than 25 years. The roof at the rear of the property had been partially destroyed by the fire, while a dormer window at the front was burnt out. Jivan Pankhania, 72, a retired electronics packer, said: ‘They were lovely people just enjoying their retirement. We don’t know what caused the fire – it is a big shock’. His wife, Gauri, 68, a retired balloon factory worker, added: ‘I was woken by the sound of the fire brigade outside, and when I looked out of the window I saw all of the smoke. ‘I woke Jivan up and said: ‘There’s a fire, we need to get out’. Another resident added: ‘I didn’t hear any screams or explosions – I just saw the police, fire and ambulance all in the street when I woke up. They were all here.’ Police, fire and ambulance crews descended on the property in Firs Drive shortly after 7am. The blaze came two days after a woman was found dead after a house fire in the Radford district of nearby Coventry. Speaking about the latest incident, Chief Inspector Charlie Naughton of Warwickshire Police said: ‘First of all, I’d like to extend my sympathies to the family of the man and woman who died. ‘We’re grateful to those in the area for their patience as I appreciate an emergency service presence such as this is impactive to the local community. ‘Officers and firefighters remain on the scene and the investigation into the cause of the fire is still in its early stages at this time.’ A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: ‘Crews arrived to find fire colleagues tackling the fire. ‘Sadly, despite the best efforts of the team of emergency service colleagues, it quickly became apparent that nothing could be done to save a man and a woman inside the property, and they were both confirmed deceased on scene. ‘A second woman was assessed by ambulance staff on scene before being discharged.’ On Saturday, the body of a woman in her 30s was found at an address in Sandy Lane, Coventry. The cause of the fire was being treated as unexplained, with West Midlands Police working alongside fire service colleagues to establish what happened. Police said the woman’s family had been informed and were being supported.