AN 81-YEAR-OLD man who suffered 70 per cent burns when his pyjamas caught fire went to bed as normal after the incident, it emerged today.

Cyril Grimshaw died on Sunday night after he tried to light a fire at his Manor Lane home in Nelson.

And today his son Mark revealed how his father, a mechanic at the former Victory V factory, carried on as normal following the horrific incident which happened on Saturday night.

Mr Grimshaw, 39, of St Michael's Court, Barrowford, said he left his father at 9pm on Saturday. He was then discovered by a care worker on Sunday morning.

He said: "He tried to light the fire to burn rubbish and his pyjamas just caught fire.

"It largely burnt them off his body from his knees up.

"He had 70 per cent burns and even his lungs were burnt when he was gasping for breath.

"It all happened then he went about things as normal.

"He had got into bed and gone to sleep."

Mr Grimshaw was taken to Burnley General Hospital but he died at about 11.30pm on Sunday.

Mark, his son's fiancee Amanda and his niece Nicola were by his side.

Mr Grimshaw today paid tribute to his hard-working father who had looked after his wife Joan, who is now in a nursing home, for eight years after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

He added, once at Victory V, a car fell off the jack on to his father's chest breaking his ribs but he refused to go home.

Mr Grimshaw, who owns his own home cleaning business, said his father, who was a keen Liverpool FC fan, would also take him and Joan to Turf Moor to watch Burnley when he was younger.

And he his father would also take him all over the country so he could take part in motocross competitions.

He said: "My dad suffered over the last seven or eight years looking after my mum then in the last eight months he has developed dementia and his health has just gone downhill so fast.

"He never had any time off work and at night he would be working on people's cars in the garage servicing them.

"But he was a good man and always provided for his family."

Mr Grimshaw added his family would like to thank his father's home-visiting carer, Darren, who did so much for Mr Grimshaw senior.

Mr Grimshaw senior also had a daughter Susan who died aged 52 several years ago.