A man caused an explosion in his back garden after throwing petrol onto his bonfire which burned skin off his face and arms.

Neighbours heard the loud bang and saw a fireball leap 15 ft into the air when the man tried to encourage the flames on his bonfire.

Luckily, the man, from Durham Road, Southend, was left with superficial but painful burns and blisters to his forehead and arms and was taken to Southend Hospital at 2pm on Saturday.

Station officer Rudy Jackson said: "He caused an explosion and the flames burnt skin off his face and arms.

"The whole of the skin on his forehead was gone.

"We put gelpacks on him and water on his arms until the ambulance arrived.

"He realised how stupid it was."

The man was treated and later released from hospital after treatment.

Published Monday September 6, 2004

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