A WOMAN has spoken of the moment she thought she would die after her partner doused her in lighter fluid and set her on fire.

Mum-of-one Belinda Fay, 21, described how she was left in agony as the flames covered the top half of her body and she could see her own skin melting.

Belinda broke her silence to describe the four years of torment she suffered at the hands of her ex-partner as police launched a new campaign against domestic violence.

She hopes to inspire others to walk away from violent and abusive partners and has been selected by officers to highlight their crackdown.

Officers fear there will be a rise in women being assaulted over the summer because of the busy summer ahead, including the Euros and Olympics.

Research has shown that there is usually an increase in violence in warm weather and sporting competitions because people are more likely to consume more alcohol.

Belinda, a former Darwen Moorland High School pupil, was visibly choked as she recalled her final argument with her first serious boyfriend Christopher Smalley, who was jailed for three years for attacking her.

She said: “One night he started arguing with me over a cigarette.

“I was constantly walking on egg shells and trying not to annoy him. But when I wouldn’t give him my cigarette he said ‘I’ll set you on fire’. At that moment, I just thought he was joking, so I told him, ‘I dare you’.

“The next thing I knew he squirted lighter fluid at me and set my jumper on fire.

“Immediately, I patted the flames out on my stomach, but at that stage I knew he wasn’t joking. I thought he was going to kill me.

“He then covered me in lighter fluid again and set me alight. This time the flames covered the entire top half of my body.

“The pain was immense. I could physically see my skin melting away. I was screaming in agony as I didn’t know what to do.”

The incident happened outside Smalley’s sister’s flat in Cockeridge Close, Blackburn.

As Belinda was burning Smalley ran for help.

When he returned with his sister, they helped Belinda drop to the floor and roll to put out the flames.

Smalley’s sister then scooped up Belinda in her arms and carried her back into her flat to put her into a cold bath.

Belinda, who now lives back with her family in Darwen, said: “When his sister put me in the bath I went into shock.

“I was in Wythenshaw Hospital for weeks in agony. But I knew I could never go back to him. For the whole of our relationship he had hit out at me. The first three weeks were the only time that it was good.

“He was really possessive and liked to control who I spoke to. He made me feel like he was the only person I had in the world so I wouldn’t leave him.

“He drove all my friends away and my family were never allowed close enough to notice anything was wrong.”

Belinda has suffered nightmares and been left with scars to her neck, top of her chest and her hands from the attack.

She is still in therapy and hopes to undergo a skin graft on her neck soon. Smalley was jailed for the incident last year.

Judge Wright described the incident, which took place in June 2010, as ‘the worst case of this nature’ he had ever seen.

Lancashire police said it dealt with 29,609 domestic abuse incidents and 8,027 crimes related to domestic abuse last year.

The numbers have been steadily increasing since 2008, rising year on year from 25,253 to 27,416 and 28,007 in April 2010 to 2011.

Officers said they believe only 21 per cent of victims come forward and those that do wait until they have suffered on average a total of 35 incidents of abuse.

Head of public protection unit, Det Sup Ind Ian Critchley, said: “Victims of domestic abuse and their children have the right to live safely in their own home.

“They should be reassured that the abuse is not their fault and that they are not alone. The police will prioritise all complaints.

“Last year there were six domestic violence related homicides in Lancashire. In my opinion that is six too many. We know that domestic violence is happening behind closed doors and we want to spread the message to victims that we are here to help in a sensitive way.”

As part of the campaign, posters will be distributed across the county and adverts will be played on radio stations as well as appearing in bus shelters.

To report an incident of abuse call the 24 hour National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247.