YORK coroner Donald Coverdale has warned of the dangers of lighting bonfires with petrol after an inquest heard how a York man died when his garden fire went horrifically wrong.

Mr Coverdale was speaking at the inquest of 43-year-old Acomb man John Barry Dickinson, who suffered 36 per cent burns to his face, chest and shoulders after a fire at his Tudor Road home.

He died of respiratory failure, caused by skin and inhalation burns, eight days later.

A gust of wind is thought to have blown the bonfire's flames towards Mr Dickinson, the inquest heard.

Mr Coverdale said that while no one could be certain Mr Dickinson had used petrol to light the fire, there were "strong indications" that he had.

These came from members of Mr Dickinson's family smelling petrol in the garden after the fire, and medical staff smelling it in the back of the ambulance used to take the burned man to hospital.

He also had surplus petrol at home, siphoned from his car the previous evening.

Mr Coverdale said: "If any good is to come from this tragedy it is that awareness of the dangers of using petrol to light fires may be raised."

Mr Dickinson's widow Teresa told the coroner's court how Mr Dickinson had siphoned the petrol from his car on March 7 this year.

His car ran on diesel and petrol had mistakenly been put in the tank.

The following night her husband was making the bonfire at his home, wearing the same clothes as the night before.

Mrs Dickinson said: "I heard screaming and I ran out into the garden. He was running up the garden to me all in flames.

"I managed to get the hosepipe on him... I got him upstairs and into the cold shower and called the ambulance."

The court then heard statements from the ambulance staff, which said Mr Dickinson had told them a gust of wind had blown the flames towards his clothes.

After being taken to York District Hospital Mr Dickinson was transferred to a specialist burns unit at Nottingham City Hospital, where he received skin grafts. He was also treated for internal inhalation burns.

Mrs Dickinson said at one stage in Nottingham her husband's condition was described as "comfortable."

But his condition deteriorated and he suffered a massive gastro-intestinal haemorrhage, dying shortly after.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr Coverdale said: "Even a comparatively small amount (of petrol) can pose a substantial risk... this is such a tragedy for members of Mr Dickinson's family."

Updated: 11:56 Thursday, November 21, 2002