A YOUNG father with a tangled love life burned to death after he doused himself with petrol following a row with his girlfriend, an inquest heard.

Mohammed Saqib Bashir was taken to hospital with 90 to 100 per cent burns after he was found on a track at Foxhill Bank Brow, Oswaldtwistle.

Mr Bashir, who died six hours after being taken Blackburn Infirmary, was conscious at the scene and told emergency workers he had accidentally set himself on fire while filling his car with fuel.

But Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley coroner Andre Rebello ruled that the 26-year-old had killed himself after hearing evidence from a pathologist and detectives.

The hearing was also told that the father-of-one had a complicated love life and had problems living in England while coming from a traditional Pakistani family.

Mr Bashir, of Higher Antley Street, Accrington, had been treated for depression after his arranged marriage collapsed while he was involved in a relationship with a Nelson woman. He also had a history of drink problems and turned to drugs on one occasion to ease his depression. The court heard from family members that Mr Bashir often had one-night-stands and his second wife had returned to Pakistan with his young son.

On the day of the tragedy, which happened at 6.30pm on Wednesday, Mr Bashir had been to Manchester with his current girlfriend Sharifa Esmail.

The couple had argued and Mr Bashir dropped her off at her home near Foxhill Bank Brow, Oswaldtwistle.

Detective Chief Inspector Michael Turner, the officer in charge of the investigation into the death, said: "Mrs Esmail went into her flat and when she came out she saw Mr Bashir on the grass verge close to his car.

"She thought he was looking for something and then she saw the fire start. She went into the flats in some distress and the emergency services arrived.

"When the emergency services arrived, Mr Bashir was lying on the ground naked except for his trainers and was covered by a blanket.

"He was conscious and coherent and asked for a glass of water.

"He was severely burned and was making a number of contradictory statements."

Mr Bashir told the rescue workers he had been involved in an accident and that he had set fire to himself.

"An empty petrol can was found in the boot of the car and two lighters, one badly burned, were discovered close to his body.

Asif Bashir, the dead man's brother, said he spoke to Mr Bashir at Blackburn Royal Infirmary shortly before his death.

He said: "The last thing my brother said was that there had been an accident and he was putting petrol in the car when he lit a cigarette."

Mohammed Nasir, Mr Bashir's uncle, said: "Saqib was a good and happy person.

"You have to believe what the experts say, but we never thought he would do something like this to himself.

"His whole family are completely devastated by what has happened."

Mr Rebello said he decided to hold the inquest less than two days after the death to allow the family to fly Mr Bashir's body to Pakistan for a traditional funeral.

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