A MOTHER was rushed to hospital in a helicopter after she was badly burned in a kitchen blaze.

May Bibby, 55, of Empress Street, Accrington, was flown to the burns unit at the Royal Preston Hospital in the Lancashire police helicopter after the horrific tea-time accident.

Today her condition was described as comfortable.

The explosion was caused when the fuel tank of a motorbike which was being repaired in the kitchen fell onto the floor spraying petrol around the room.

Mrs Bibby cooking with a chip pan at the electric oven and was immediately engulfed in flames.

Her 17-year-old son Dominic escaped the inferno after smashing through the kitchen window while Mrs Bibby ran out into the front street.

Neighbour Marie Turner heard the explosion and raised the alarm.

The 34-year-old said: "They have only just moved into the area and are a quiet family, when I heard all the noise I thought they were having an argument.

"I went outside and May's son Dominic was smashing the back windows of the house and shouting at his mother to get out of the house because there was a fire.

"I rang for the fire brigade and when I came back out they had managed to get May outside." Mrs Turner added: "May was all black from the smoke and you could see where her arms and hands were really badly burned.

"Dominic had cut his hands breaking the glass and he was in a state of shock.

"There were fire engines and ambulances everywhere and when the helicopter arrived everyone came out of their houses to see what was going on."

May Bibby suffered serious burns to her hands, face and neck and she was in a great deal of pain and having difficulty breathing.

Paramedics requested an emergency medical evacuation and plans were made for the police helicopter to land on the all-weather sports pitch at Hyndburn Sports Centre.

Her 17-year-old son Dominic was taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary where he was treated for shock and smoke inhalation and released this morning.

He was later released and spent the night at a neighbours with his 14-year-old brother Jonathan. A police spokesman said: "Mrs Bibby's two sons had been repairing a petrol tank on a motorbike.

"Unfortunately the petrol tank was knocked over at the same time as Mrs Bibby was cooking.

"There was quite a large flash explosion and a fire.

"The police helicopter was requested to fly Mrs Bibby to the burns unit at Preston and it was landing at Hyndburn Sports Centre 10 minutes later."

Station officer Mick Holmes from Accrington fire brigade has warned people to always carry out repairs involving flammable liquids outdoors and well away from buildings.

He added: "Although this was an awful accident, it is a good example of all the emergency services working well together, everyone did a brilliant job and it was over and done with in an hour."

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