A GRIEVING father today spoke of his heartache after his son died of severe burns following a blaze in Oswaldtwistle.

And as police tried to piece together the tragedy, residents at a nearby hostel told how a girl with singed hair ran in begging for help screaming "he's on fire".

Mohammed Saqib Bashir, 26, died early today at Blackburn Royal Infirmary after being found with severe burns on a track at Foxhill Bank Brow, Oswaldtwistle.

A 20-year-old local woman has been arrested following the incident and was today being questioned by police.

Mark Wogden, 36, who lives at the DSS hostel and was one of the first at the scene, said: "He looked at me and said "I need water'. He said to his girlfriend 'I have done this because you don't love me' and she went hysterical."

Mr Hussain Sarwar, who was visiting the hostel, wet a sheet and when he rushed to help realised he knew the badly burned man.

Mr Sarwar said: "When he said 'uncle get me water' I realised who he was. I know the family well and have known him from a child." The ambulance and fire service were called by Mr Sarwar's son, Naeeam, who owns the hostel where residents said the girl had been living for the last few weeks.

They said there was a rubbish fire not far from where Mr Bashir was lying on the ground, and a parked car.

Mr Bashir's wife Shamim is currently on holiday in Pakistan with their two-year-old son Hamad, but she has been informed of the tragedy.

Speaking at the family home in Higher Antley Street, Accrington, the dead man's father, also named Mohammed Bashir said: "All Saqib's family are really upset and confused about what has happened. We have no idea what he was doing up there last night. His mother Bilqis Akhtar is taking it pretty badly.

"He was a really nice boy and a good son. He was one of six children and my second youngest son. He was very popular among all his friends and family. Saqib was a motor mechanic, he worked as a panel beater in Accrington.

"He was born in Whalley but has lived here all his life. He started school at Spring Hill and then went to Mount Carmel High."

He added: "Saqib's wife and boy are on holiday but I spoke to one of Shamim's sisters early this morning to let her know what is happening."

He said the family will be fly out to Pakistan with Mr Bashir's body for his funeral.

His younger brother, Abid, added: "Saqib was a cheerful lad and liked to joke a lot. He had a lot of friends and he always got on well with everyone."

Firefighters and ambulance crews were called to the scene in Oswaldtwistle at 6.30pm yesterday.

They found Mr Bashir lying on the ground suffering from severe burns. He had been covered with a wet piece of cloth.

Station Officer Les Shaw, of Accrington Fire Brigade, said: "He was suffering severe burns to most of his body.

"We gave him oxygen and applied further cooling solutions to the cloth until paramedics arrived." Mr Bashir, of Higher Antley Street, Accrington, was taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary's intensive care unit but died at about 3am.

A young woman who was also at the scene was given first aid by firefighters before being taken to hospital by ambulance.

Mr Shaw said: "She was in distress and suffering from burns to her hands and slight singeing to her hair."

A post mortem examination was due to be carried out today. The coroner has been informed.

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