Woman burned as petrol ignites

Lee Smith, Station Manager for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said Diane Hill was burnt after a cooker flame ignited the fuel she was transferring between containers

A woman who was badly burned when petrol ignited as she transferred it between containers in her kitchen has been named as Diane Hill from Acomb in York.

She was decanting petrol from one container to another when vapours ignited and set fire to her clothing.

Prime Minister David Cameron said his heart went out to the woman who was burnt while transferring petrol between canisters in her kitchen.

Speaking at 10 Downing Street shortly after he chaired a meeting of the Government's Cobra emergency contingencies committee, Mr Cameron said:

Neighbour Margot Johnston says she noticed "quite a lot of smoke" and then saw the woman who suffered burns "pulling her clothes off".

MP Karl Turner tweeted that the Cabinet Office Minister should step down after a woman was badly burned - if it is linked to his earlier calls for people to keep a jerry can of fuel.

The woman injured by the petrol fire has been named locally as Diane Hill from Moorgate in York.

Lee Smith, one of the fire officers called to the scene, told BBC Radio 5 Live that firefighters did not need to extinguish any flames but had to deal with "a lot of smoke".

The woman was cooking dinner while decanting the fuel from an "appropriate petrol container" into a glass jug when the vapours ignited, according to Mr Smith.

That "created panic," causing the woman to spill the petrol, which "resulted in spillage on the lady's clothes which ignited as well", said Mr Smith.

Peter Hudson, of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the woman was transferring fuel after her daughter had asked for some petrol.

He said it was unclear whether the request was in response to the threat of strikes by fuel tanker drivers.