A DESPERATE father died after turning himself into a human fireball because he could not see his children, an inquest heard.

Dad-of-two David Guest doused himself with petrol and set himself on fire in the front garden of his estranged wife's house in Rossendale as horrified on-lookers tried to phone for help.

Mr Guest, 37, split from wife Lorraine in 1998 after a three-year marriage and was upset at the lack of access to his two daughters, Kirsty Ann and Lily Louise, the court heard.

Following the split he had become increasingly depressed and threatened to kill himself several times.

Soon after the break-up he had gone to the house in Rectory Close, Newchurch and poured petrol over himself and the front door, but had been stopped by police before he managed to set himself on fire.

The inquest heard he had also tried to commit suicide by slitting his wrists.

Michelle Ward, a close friend of Mrs Guest who was staying at the house, described the horrific scene which erupted in the street at about 3pm on July 20.

She said: "I was upstairs when I heard a loud noise and noticed a smell of burning. I saw there was smoke in the house and my first response was to go on to the landing to see if there was any access. I saw the front door was black and I knew it was David.

"I looked out of the window and that was when I saw him."

She said she had also noticed a close neighbour running around hysterically calling for help.

Despite police, fire crews and paramedics attending Rectory Close, David, of Lower Ebor Street, York, suffered such serious injuries that he died at the scene.

Mrs Guest, who was not in the house at the time, said her estranged husband had taken the break-up very badly and said several times he was going to kill himself as revenge on her.

David's brother Chris said: "He was not in his right mind. He was just so focused on his grief at not seeing the children."

A post mortem examination showed the cause of death was burns.

East Lancashire Coroner Richard Taylor said: "It is never easy when in a break-down one party reacts so desperately as David did, but I have no doubt of his intentions."

He recorded a verdict that David took his own life.