Pub landlady was killed in blaze when battery on her cordless vacuum cleaner exploded, inquest hears

A popular pub landlady was killed in a devastating blaze after the battery on her Vax cordless vacuum cleaner exploded, an inquest has heard.

Ann Michelle Male, 58, died from smoke inhalation after a fire tore through her country pub in the village of Stottesdon, Shropshire, on July 14 this year.

Emergency services were called to the Fighting Cocks Inn at around 6.52pm after neighbours reported seeing smoke coming from a window.

Fire crews forced their way into the pub and found a bedroom ablaze.

Teams had to tackle thick black smoke as they opened the door and used a thermal imaging camera to find Mrs Male unresponsive on the floor, an inquest at Shropshire Coroners’ Court in Shrewsbury heard.

Firefighters started to perform CPR, with paramedics taking over after they arrived, but sadly she was pronounced dead at 7.40pm.

Ross Donnelly, of Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, said he believed the fire was accidental and had started after an explosion in the battery belonging to her Vax Blade cordless vacuum cleaner.

The inquest heard Mrs Male, known as Annie, was ‘the life and soul of every room she entered’ and a ‘deeply loving’ person.

Ann Michelle Male (left, pictured with partner Rob), 58, died from smoke inhalation after a fire tore through her country pub in the village of Stottesdon, Shropshire, on July 14 this year

Emergency services were called to the Fighting Cocks Inn (pictured) at around 6.52pm after neighbours reported seeing smoke coming from a window

The hearing was told Mrs Male, originally from Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands, had revived the country pub after completing a lifelong dream to own and run her own business. 

The pub remains closed in the aftermath of the fire. 

A report commissioned by Vax was provided for the hearing, after the company had the remains of the battery examined by an independent expert.

Shropshire senior coroner John Ellery said the report concluded it was not possible to say if it was a genuine Vax battery which had exploded.

But the coroner accepted evidence from Mrs Male’s partner Rob, who said the battery was an original Vax battery.

A solicitor representing the company at the hearing told the coroner that all Vax batteries are manufactured to international standards and subject to ‘rigorous testing’.

The inquest was also told there was no pattern of manufacturing defect with the product.

Mr Donnelly’s report said that the battery had gone into a state of ‘thermal runaway’ which led to the explosion.

The inquest heard Mrs Male, known as Annie, was ‘the life and soul of every room she entered’ and a ‘deeply loving’ person

Flowers were left at the scene for Mrs Male, who was a popular local landlady

Police outside The Fighting Cocks Pub in Stottesdon following the fatal blaze

The fire was caused by the explosion of a battery in the Vax Blade cordless vacuum cleaner (stock image)

The inquest heard it can be caused by a number of issues, such as a defective battery, the battery having been damaged by an impact, ageing, or environmental exposure. 

However, Mr Ellery said that because of the state of the battery after the explosion there was no conclusive evidence which showed the cause for the catastrophic failure.

He added: ‘What we do not know is precisely when the battery exploded, but when it happened it must have immediately caused smoke for Annie to fall unconscious.’

Mr Ellery concluded that Mrs Male’s death was accidental, but said the case served as a warning about the potential dangers of lithium ion batteries.

He said: ‘This inquest does highlight the dangers of batteries that can explode, whether they are charging or not.’

The inquest heard a moving tribute from Mrs Male’s daughter, Georgia Higgins, who described her as ‘the life and soul of every room she entered’ and ‘a deeply loving person who was the glue that held our family together.’

The statement told how travelling had become Mrs Male’s passion but ‘only for sunny spots where she could soak up the rays’.

It described how she had ‘transformed’ the Fighting Cocks after taking over, ‘breathing new life into the venue and the village’.

Mrs Higgins’s statement explained how her mother had ‘adored’ the pub, and ‘fell in love with the country life’.

She added: ‘She is missed by so many; the world is undoubtedly a darker place without her light.’

Vax’s parent company has been contacted for comment.