A woman walked away from the wreckage of her home today after a suspected gas explosion ripped through the property and razed it to the ground.

A passing postman is believed to have helped the woman escape from the rear of her property after the blast at about 7.41am in Eaton Court, off Foxwood Lane, York.

The woman, aged 39, was able to walk to the ambulance before being taken to hospital with minor burns and singes. The postman was treated for shock.

Neighbours said today the woman was Nicola Dunning, who they said works for the RSPCA in Water Lane and lives alone.

Lesley McCance, who lives in the remaining half of the semi-detached property, said: "My mum called me at work this morning to say there had been a gas explosion next door.

"I was just shocked and I didn't know how bad it was going to be. I thought a few panes of glass might have been blown out. But when I got here it was obviously much worse."

Deborah Goldsmith, another neighbour, had left for work just ten minutes before the blast. Her taxi-driver husband, Dean, was also out at work.

Deborah's house escaped without any damage, but her garden and greenhouse have been swamped by rubble.

She said: "It's quite amazing. There's not even a broken pane of glass in the house but the garden is another matter."

The semi-detached house, of which the other half is still standing, was smouldering hours later as North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service teams fought to extinguish hot spots and a fire in the roof space of the neighbouring property.

Neighbour Michael Collins said: "I was lying in bed when I heard this loud crack. It sounded like a lorry had gone into someone's house.

"I looked out and saw the postman running up and down the street, and so I went out in my dressing gown and asked the postman what was happening. He said there'd been a gas explosion.

"I saw the house with flames coming through the roof."

At the scene, PC Paul Beckwith said an officer on patrol had spotted thick smoke coming from the area and found firefighters had already been called by neighbours.

He said: "It was the postman who removed the lady from the back of the house. She was the only occupant we're aware of."

He said she had suffered burns and singed hair, but they appeared to be superficial injuries.

Nigel Metcalfe, of Tees East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said a 39-year-old woman had been taken to York District Hospital and that the postman had been taken to hospital suffering from shock.

Transco engineers were today helping the fire service make the scene safe and officers from the Health and Safety Executive were checking the structural integrity of the remaining half of the semi-detached building. They said there was no risk to other properties.

* A man and three children were saved by a smoke alarm early today when fire broke out at a house in Melrosegate, York. The occupants escaped without serious injury after being woken by the alarm.

Updated: 10:39 Tuesday, May 15, 2001