MORE than £700 has been raised after a collection was set up for an Ipswich man who died after falling into a bonfire.An inquest was opened and adjourned on Friday into the death of an Ipswich man Damian Stewart, 30, who suffered fatal burns when he fell into a bonfire at the back of his home in Camden Road, off Foxhall Road, Ipswich.

MORE than £700 has been raised after a collection was set up for an Ipswich man who died after falling into a bonfire.

An inquest was opened and adjourned on Friday into the death of an Ipswich man Damian Stewart, 30, who suffered fatal burns when he fell into a bonfire at the back of his home in Camden Road, off Foxhall Road, Ipswich.

Suffolk police passed the investigation to the coroner's office after officers decided there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the accident which happened at about 5.45pm on Monday February 11.

Steve Clarke, landlord at The Heathlands pub on Foxhall Road where Mr Stewart was a regular, said he was a much liked figure in the community.

He said: “He was the sort of person who could bridge gaps.

“He would talk to a six-year-old kid as well as the pensioner in the corner. He was a nice guy and lived life to the full.

“We have done a collection for him and raised more than £700 so far. That shows what people thought of him.”

Mr Stewart died on Tuesday morning at the specialist burns unit in Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford.

Suffolk police said alcohol may have played a part in the accident.

Mary Allison, 53, who lives in West Yorkshire but previously lived in Camden Road, said: “He was a fun, happy young lad.

“It was an absolute shock when I heard what had happened. It was so tragic and an awful way to die. It is so sad and at such a young age. He had everything to live for.”