Man hurt in gas explosion

A man in his 50s was taken to hospital with burns after a camping gas cylinder exploded at a property in north Shropshire. Firefighters attended following reports of a fire.

They were called to Crickmerry Bank, Crickmerry near Market Drayton, yesterday at about 8.30pm.

The fire was out on their arrival but the occupant had sustained superficial burns following the explosion.

Firefighters said today the man had been attempting to put a new gas cylinder on a mantle lamp due to a power cut when a nearby candle set it alight.

Roger Smith, from Market Drayton Fire Station, said: "There was an explosion with a camping gas cylinder. The man was changing the cylinder and there was a candle close by.

"It looks as though there was a leak from the canister and with the candle being close by it exploded.

"The man suffered superficial burns to his hands and face and he singed his hair.

"There had been a power cut in the evening so the occupant was trying to use the lamp for light."

One crew from Market Drayton, one from Hodnet and the incident commander from Shrewsbury attended the scene as initial reports suggested it was a property fire involving a camping gas cylinder within a two storey building.

Chris Kowalik, a West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman, said a man in his 50s had to be taken to the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford with burns.

He added: "We also sent the hazardous area response team but once the ambulance got there and realised it wasn't that serious all other resources were stood down."

The family of the man, who has not been named, did not wish to speak today.