THE death of an 80-year-old man who set his clothes on fire was a tragic accident, an inquest heard.

Francis Emmott died on May 23 in Burnley General Hospital, the day after he was found badly burned at his home in Leach Road, Colne.

A police officer was called to the house after neighbours reported hearing screams.

PC Christopher Lewis told how he had to smash glass panels in the locked front door to get into to the smoke-filled house. He found Mr Emmott on the kitchen floor in considerable pain, "black from head to toe", with some of his clothes still on fire.

One of the gas hob rings was still alight.

PC Lewis put out the flames with his hands before paramedics arrived at the scene, but Mr Emmott had suffered 80 per cent burns.

An inquest at Burnley Magistrates' Court was told Mr Emmott was always a heavy smoker.He had begun to smoke and also drink more following the death of his wife Nancy in 2003.

Mr Emmott's daughter, Susan Gleeson, told how she and her sister had visited their father, who had lived on his own since he was widowed, just a few days before his death.

Mrs Gleeson told the court Mr Emmott had admitted he sometimes used the gas stove to light his cigarettes when he had run out of matches and lighters.

Stephen Andrews, a forensic scientist and fire specialist who visited Mr Emmott's house after the incident, said: "We tested the gas fire and found that it lit after a short delay, but when it did light it was a big ignition.

"We also did an ignition test on the shirt material that we found on the kitchen floor along with bits of charred clothes, and we found that it burned very easily."

He added that five empty cigarette lighters were found in the house, along with an almost empty box of matches.

Consultant pathologist Dr Zuhair Twaij gave the cause of death as severe burning.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, East Lancashire coroner Richard Taylor said "We have heard that he had formed a habit of lighting cigarettes from the jets of gas, which lit with a vigorous flame, and that he continued to do so despite his family asking him to stop.

"Tragically that is what led to his death when his clothing set on fire. It was a tragic accident."